The first new homes in a new village as part of a huge garden city development have been given the green light by planners.

Proposals for the first 281 homes in the Ashmere neighbourhood at Ebbsfleet Garden City have been approved.

It is the second village to be built in the former Eastern Quarry area of Ebbsfleet – now known as Whitecliffe – and follows the Castle Hill settlement.

The designs were given the go-ahead by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) and will see a quarter of the village be built as affordable housing.

When complete, Ashmere will have 3,000 homes, a new primary school and village centre.

This first phase, the latest in the 15,000-home masterplan for Ebbsfleet, will see 175 one and two-bedroom apartments built and 106 houses.

Mark Pullin, chief planning officer at Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said: “Whilst these are challenging times for us all and working practices have changed in recent weeks, we have been able to approve these plans under powers already delegated to officers.

“This first phase of development at Ashmere marks a significant step forward in terms of design quality within Ebbsfleet, creating eye-catching new homes that have been inspired by Ebbsfleet’s past.

"The oast houses and maltings of Kent’s villages have been fused with the handsome Georgian streets of Gravesend’s town centre, to inspire a rich mix of distinctive new homes, set within streets full of trees and planting as expected of a Garden City.

“Once Whitecliffe is complete there will be 6,250 homes across three villages, each with their own centre, giving them a distinctive feel.”

The new village is one of the first schemes approved under EDC's dedicated design guidance strategy.

The document outlines four key characteristics new neighbourhoods have to adhere to and which build on the area's landscape and cultural past.

EDC say the plans for Ashmere incorporate designs to create "neighbourhoods brimming with character that are distinctive to Ebbsfleet".

"This first phase of development at Ashmere marks a significant step forward"

It is also closely following the strategy for the public realm space in Ebbsfleet by creating "green, health and sustainable tree lined streets".

Bosses say there are 40% more trees along streets than in other new developments in the surrounding area with designs for streets and parks inspired by the landscape of the North Downs and the area's links to quarrying in the past.

The plans are a joint venture between Countryside Properties and Clarion Housing Group.

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