Fears were raised about the protection of a population of “distinguished jumping spiders” during construction on a section of the Ebbsfleet Garden City project.

Part of the 2,500-acre brownfield location has now been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Natural England.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) - the planning authority tasked with speeding up delivery of the homes - confirmed the decision.

Its chief executive, Ian Piper, told The Telegraph the environmental order will now lead to plans for an estimated 1,300 properties no longer going ahead.

Natural England’s Edel McGurk says wildlife must be a priority when it comes to housebuilding.

The public body’s regional director for the south east said: “Housing and nature are not competing interests - sustainable development and nature recovery must go hand in hand.

“We will continue to work with developers within Ebbsfleet Valley to explore innovative solutions to support the new development and help them comply with environmental law.

“We share the aim of supporting development in Ebbsfleet, while incorporating wildlife and enabling people to benefit from a nature reserve close to where they live and work.”