First-time buyers looking to leave London are more likely to set up home in Dartford than anywhere else, it has emerged.

Research by experts Hamptons International reveals Dartford is the most popular location for housebuyers moving away from the capital.

But the news has sparked fears residents could be squeezed out of the housing market.

Good commuter links and cheaper house prices have led to 15,000 Londoners – a third of the total – buying their first homes outside the city. The figure is 70% higher than in 2013.

In Dartford, the average property price was calculated at £210,000 while first-time buyers in the capital are forking out an average £248,000 to buy their properties.

Dartford council’s leader, Cllr Jeremy Kite, said a balance needed to be struck to ensure that local people could also step on the housing ladder.

Cllr Kite (Con) said: “It is an issue we are aware of and my pre-occupation is making sure local people in Dartford can buy houses.

“We have a huge housing supply and what we are seeing is that demand is being met, which we were expecting anyway.

“You can’t have a major regeneration area like Dartford without that demand, that’s the whole point.

“Although growth is nothing to be feared, we have to be diligent and strike a balance for Dartford residents.”

Johnny Morris, the head of research at Hamptons, said: “High house price growth over 2014 has further raised the barrier for first-time buyers looking to access the housing ladder in London, leading many to look to cheaper areas with good transport links to the capital.”

With major regeneration projects on the horizon such as London Paramount and Ebbsfleet Garden City, interest is likely to strengthen over the next year.

The clamour in Dartford comes months after housing officers warned those applying for council homes not to be choosy about where they live.

In May, we reported how 819 people were bidding for homes in the town, despite only 34 available properties each month.

“Some councils will have an open door housing policy but we are keen to make sure homes are only allocated to Dartford families" - Cllr Jeremy Kite

Cllr Kite said the council’s policy was to put Dartford families first and ensure they remained at the heart of any regeneration plans.

He added: “Some councils will have an open door housing policy but we are keen to make sure homes are only allocated to Dartford families.

“At the moment the supply of homes is still meeting the demand for local people but we have to make sure that doesn’t change.”

“We have to make sure regeneration is geared towards Dartford families.”

After our town, the next popular locations for homeowners were Caterham, Slough, Hemel Hempstead and Luton.