Controversial plans to build a new 900-home estate in Newcastle could be signed off this week.

Councillors will rule on Thursday whether Banks Property will be allowed to push ahead with their £178m proposals for the Kingston Village development in the north west of the city.

The plans have been in the works for years and have attracted major criticism from environmental groups since first being announced in 2018, while also sparking a row with rival developers at the neighbouring Newcastle Great Park.

Opponents have claimed that the new estate, located  to the west of Brunton Lane between Kingston Park and Dinnington, would destroy wildlife habitats and leave local roads overrun with traffic.

But the Durham-based developer insists that it is the “right option for the development of this important site” and the scheme has been recommended for approval by city planners ahead of a Newcastle City Council planning committee hearing.

The proposals also include a new primary school, two retail units expected to be occupied by a convenience store and a cafe, and a village green on the site, which sits on former Green Belt land.

Campaign group Save Newcastle Wildlife has warned that the project would “put yet more pressure on the delicate ecosystem at the Havannah and Three Hills Local Nature Reserve”, while the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and countryside charity CPRE have also opposed it.

One resident of Woolsington, who is among 69 local objectors, told the council they were “horrified at the alarming rate of development in the surrounding area” and had “grave concerns about the destruction of wildlife habitats”.

Further concerns have been raised about the extra traffic and air pollution in a part of the city targeted for major housebuilding over recent years, and Newcastle International Airport says the proposal does not take into account its future expansion plans.

The Newcastle Great Park Consortium, the partnership behind the 4,500-home estate adjacent to the proposed Kingston Village site, have also been vocal critics of the new plans – alleging that there is “unsuitable connectivity” between the sites and that the competition could negatively impact the vitality of the Great Park’s long-criticised town centre.

However, 49 letters of support for the scheme were sent to the council and city planners have concluded that its positives should outweigh any harms.

They said in a report to councillors: “The development offers significant benefits by contributing towards a strong economy and supporting economic growth and productivity, thereby providing wider opportunities for development. It would, through the provision of 900 new homes, the creation of publicly accessible open space and by securing access to community services including a new school and improvements in healthcare facilities, support the creation of strong, vibrant and healthy communities.”

The Banks Group, which was behind failed plans to dig new coal mines at Druridge Bay in Northumberland and near Throckley in Newcastle, said that Kingston Village would be “an outstanding, vibrant community which will integrate successfully into the west of Newcastle”.

Mark Dowdall, the firm’s environment and community director, added: “A great deal of collaborative work and local consultation has gone into forming a high-quality proposal for this allocated housing site and we are very pleased that after conducting an extremely robust assessment of our plans, the City Council’s planning officers have recognised the quality of our design.

“Delivering around 900 new homes on this 49-hectare site, along with community assets including a new primary school, a local shop and cafe, allotments, a village green and substantial amounts of public open space, will support the development of the inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable new community that we are looking to create.”