Residents living in Kent’s new garden city have welcomed plans to deliver long overdue community facilities “promised” nearly a decade ago.

Ebbsfleet is one of the UK’s largest and fastest regeneration schemes with proposals to deliver up to 15,000 homes, between Dartford and Gravesend, by 2035.

More than 15 years ago plans were approved to develop a parcel of former quarry land at Whitecliffe into a new mixed-use community encompassing more than a third of those homes and new leisure facilities.

Earlier this week, residents were invited to have their say on the provisional plans, known as the The Hub, including a lifelong learning centre, co-working space, police drop-in centre and health facility.

Mum-of-two Jodie Keith told KentOnline the added amenities have been a long time coming.

The 28-year-old, who has lived in Castle Hill for seven years, was speaking at a public consultation into the plans which also includes 55 affordable shared-ownership homes, known as Parcel 4.

“We were promised so much when we first moved in but what with Covid it has taken a long time to see anything happen, so it’s great to see it starting to come to fruition,” she added.

Jodie is particularly looking forward to a library being created with the Hub.

She explained: “Our closest library is within Ebbsfleet Academy and it’s just not very inviting to go into a school.

“It will be much nicer to have our own community library.”

The long-time resident is also looking forward to the health facilities - although it has not yet been decided what form these will take.

She added: “Anything that can bring the community together is great.

“I’m really passionate about living here. I don’t think I’ll ever move away.”

Jodie would also like to see a gym added to the plans.

“Everyone I talk to seems to want a gym around here,” she said.

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: “We have lived here six years and we have been promised new facilities for such a long time.

“I love the co-working space and the health facilities sound very promising. It will be great to have a focal point for the community to gather and integrate.

“Let’s hope it is completed on schedule.”

The plans are open to adaption and new ideas will be integrated into the planning application, which is expected to be submitted late next month.

Ebbsfleet councillor Jonathon Hawkes said the plans were “very positive” but the “devil is going to be in the detail”.

The Dartford Labour leader added: “We need to make sure the community facilities are matching the needs of the community.

“The requirement is to provide the community infrastructure that we need in Ebbsfleet to help support the number of houses that are going to be there.”

The Labour leader was encouraged by mention of medical facility but is keen for it to encompass what residents really need.

He explained: “We are in desperate need of a GP surgery and we need the plans to deliver that rather than a medical facility.”

Cllr Hawkes believes more discussion needs to take place around the scheme and wants residents to have their say.

He added: “There are more conversations to be had but it is definitely traveling in the right direction.”

Fellow Ebbsfleet councillor Danny Nicklen (Con) also welcomed the plans.

“I am very excited about what it will mean for Ebbsfleet residents should it go ahead,” he said.

“I am particularly thrilled about the lifelong learning centre and the proposal to bring vital public services together in one place.”

The Castle Hill resident said the introduction of services for families was vital.

He added: ”Ebbsfleet has many young families living here so, the inclusion of youth provision and a new library service would be most welcome.

“Finally, we desperately need additional health facilities locally, so I am very delighted to see that provision is being included in the plans.”

If approved, building work is expected to start later this year or early 2025, to be completed by 2027.

Project architect Andrew Enerva, from HTA Design, explained the ideas that have been incorporated into the plans for The Hub include a co-working space and a lifelong learning centre.

He explained that the ground floor will have a cafe, library and multi-purpose hall, with access to the health care facility next door.

On the first floor there will be a lifelong learning centre to offer support to parents and carers. The third floor will feature adult education and social care.

And on the top floor there will be a co-working space where people working from home can set themselves up for the day, or start-up companies can hire a table on a more permanent basis.

But he also encouraged residents to offer up ideas for additions to the plan.

“If you think we are missing a service or activity and we can incorporate it into the plan please let us know your thoughts,” he said.

The quarry development sites are sandwiched between the River Thames and the north Kent green belt “where London meets the Garden of England” on the High Speed 1 train line.

The largest of them, in Whitecliffe, sits alongside separate proposals for a new major urban park which was consulted on last year and a huge education campus, catering for more than 2,200 secondary and primary school pupils.

There are also plans for a new market centre with a public square, shops, bars, restaurants and office space.

It is one of the three main plots forming the garden city project, with 6,250 of the 15,000 proposed homes being built there.

Formerly known as Eastern Quarry, it is made up of three villages, known as Ashmere, Alkerden and Castle Hill.