The application has become controversial as many existing businesses, including ArcelorMittal Kent Wire, say they will be forced out of the area.

Many believe this is the first phase of the redevelopment of much of the large area at Chatham Docks for housing. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said:, external

But Peel Waters said the application broadened the parameters for what types of businesses could operate in the area, rather than repurposing the area as residential.

He added that the Basin3 project, which will demolish existing warehouses and replace them with work areas and units of various sizes, will triple the amount of work on the site.

Peel Waters chief executive James Whittaker said the campus would “complement the surrounding business, education and residential communities”.

But Phil Taylor, former managing director of ArcelorMittal Kent Wire, said: “It’s a sad day for Kent Wire, it’s a sad day for Medway.

“I’m disappointed, saddened and shocked,” he said.

“It is unreasonable to destroy Chatham Docks, a high-value employer. “This is illogical and has been that way from the beginning.”