Plans have been submitted for thousands of "city-style" flats, an education quarter and GP services as part of a new centre for Kent's garden city.

A planning application has now been submitted for the first phase of a new mixed housing and commercial development at Ebbsfleet Central.

It forms part of a milestone project within the "heart" of the garden city and is focused on the regeneration of land around Ebbsfleet International Station.

This area is split into three parcels – Northfleet Rise, Station Gardens and River Park.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) – the planning arm tasked with delivering the first garden city in 100 years – has set out plans for 2,100 homes and around 10,000sqm of retail floor space.

The commercial offering will include shops, restaurants, supermarkets, bars, and up to 100,000sqm of workspaces on undeveloped land.

According to the plans the vast majority of housing provided will be "city-style" apartments with a proposed ratio of 80:20 mix of flats to mews/maisonettes.

Of these homes, around 35% are proposed as affordable housing, with a tenure split between shared ownership, social and affordable rent, and First Homes.

Alongside this are plans to introduce a "world class health and wellbeing hub" to provide primary healthcare, GP services and other community wellbeing space.

There is also potential for additional diagnostic facilities to be provided, EDC says.

These facilities, together with space for business, education and research will make up a health, education and innovation quarter.

It's hoped when integrated with the transport network they will create a variety of retail, cultural and community uses, along with public facing amenities.

Outdoor green spaces will also be provided and designed to encourage walking and cycling as part of the garden city's pledge to provide an "unparalleled focus on health and wellbeing".

Current parking facilities around Ebbsfleet Station will also be re-provided.

There are currently more than 3,000 homes in Ebbsfleet Garden City with plans to extend that to 15,000 homes by the time the project is finished.

The Ebbsfleet Central site has a long planning history, having been earmarked for development for a significant amount of time.

EDC purchased the land in 2019 to ensure delivery of development in this location.

It is being supported by the The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in bringing forward its masterplan for the area.

The garden city has also been identified as a potential "investment zone" by the government.

Such zones aim to stop big infrastructure projects from getting bogged down in red tape and streamline the planning process.

It would also see tax lowered for businesses and possibly for residents, according to the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng who visited Ebbsfleet with the Prime Minister following their "car crash" budget last month.

Jen Hunt, director of development at EDC, said: "This submission is a significant step towards creating the heart of Ebbsfleet, providing vital services and facilities for the local community.

"Ebbsfleet Central will be a major commercial destination in its own right, with next-generation workspaces, city-style apartments, culture and connections to parks, schools, lakes, and a new state-of-the-art health and wellbeing hub.

"The outline planning application is integral to building our vision of Ebbsfleet Central and creating a more detailed plan of how the project can serve local residents and our neighbours in Dartford and Gravesham."

The outline application first will seek to establish whether the scale and nature of the proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority.

A fully detailed proposal will then be put forward which will look to establish connectivity, building heights, density, green and blue infrastructure, and land use.

Ian Piper, chief executive of EDC, said: "The submission of the outline planning application is the first step of many to ensure we drive the regeneration of Ebbsfleet that truly reflects local needs and opportunity.

"If these outline plans are approved, we will begin to incorporate the finer, technical aspects of delivery, such as location of facilities, building heights, and pathways.

"Throughout the process we encourage local residents and community members to let us know their thoughts throughout the consultations that will take place as we begin to design the look and feel of Ebbsfleet Central East."

The outline planning permission will act as a framework with further details brought forward in future planning bids.

Planners say the detail, including design, land use, building heights and connectivity, may change in response to the market, technology and infrastructure needs over time.

A decision on the outline planning application is expected by early 2023. Click here to view more details.