More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
An additional 221 carbon friendly homes have been given the green light on the site of Kent's new Garden City.
The scheme will see a mix of 86 houses and 135 apartments erected on land at the former quarry site near Ingress Park and Tiltman Avenue in Greenhithe.
Of these, 30 per cent have been designated as affordable homes, including three to be made wheelchair accessible with charging points for electric vehicles.
Solar panels are to be fitted across many of the buildings as part of a range of energy conservation measures.
A play park will also be built with 20 per cent earmarked for use as open space and new pedestrian and cycle routes
The site has been remained untouched since the Northfleet Cement Works shut down in 2008.
Developer Bellway Thames Gateway has since acquired the brownfield site and has outline planning permission for 532 new homes which it hopes will attract London commuters.
It was recently granted approval for a 100-house scheme on nearby land at Craylands Lane in Swanscombe.
A total of nearly 2000 homes have now been built in Ebbsfleet Garden City but the company behind its developments have plans to build atleast 13,000 more.
Last year it announced it had acquired a 125-hectare site to be called Ebbsfleet Central which will be a key contributor to its house building target.
The land had not been used in a decade since it was occupied by a plant hire company and work has already started on the homes.
Ebbsfleet Garden City already has one primary school, Castle Hill, with another under construction and one more in the pipeline.
The developers said the number of buildings would not be an indicator of the project's success, instead indicating they would be driven by the "quality of life" they could create.
A pub and hotel opened in 2017 with a second one given approval for Castle Hill with work expected to start early this year.
Transport connections were also considered and a new bridge is being put in place which will link residents to Ebbsfleet International Station when it opens in Spring.
Chief planning officer at Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Mark Pullin, said: “Bellway has worked very closely with us to achieve what we believe is a good quality scheme fitting of a 21st Century Garden City as well as going beyond planning requirements as it looks towards a more sustainable future.”
Land Director at Bellway Ian Cooper said: “We think this will be a fantastic and strategic site for new homes – and a major upgrade for the whole area.
“We’re expecting this to be a popular development with London commuters in particular because of the area’s exceptional transport links, with both Northfleet and Ebbsfleet International stations close by.
“It will also enhance the local area for residents already living here, breathing new life into this disused brownfield site and transforming it into an attractive new residential area.”
