Permission has been granted for work to begin on the first primary school at Ebbsfleet Garden City.

An Ebbsfleet Development Corporation planning committee approved plans for a 420-pupil building in Castle Hill last night, to open in September 2017 under the name Cherry Orchard Primary.

It will also provide places for 26 nursery children and 15 special needs pupils.

Chairman of the Ebbsfleet planning committee, David Lock, said: “I’m delighted the very first primary school for this part of the Garden City has been approved.

“Not only will the school and community centre be the focus of a new neighbourhood in Castle Hill, but it will also provide much needed school spaces for the area.”

The proposed community centre will be on the same site in Eastern Quarry, measuring 422 square metres.

Applicant Land Securities also want to build play areas, sports pitches and a village square.

The school has also been designed in light of Ebbsfleet's status as an NHS "healthy new town", featuring a wild flower and grassed roof.

Leigh Academies Trust, which is currently responsible for 9,000 pupils across six secondary, six primary and one special needs school, will run the school.

“Not only will the school and community centre be the focus of a new neighbourhood in Castle Hill, but it will also provide much needed school spaces for the area” - planning committee chairman David Lock

The trust hopes it will become a special centre for children with speech, communication and language needs.

Paul Spooner, Interim Chief Executive of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, is pleased to see the garden city starting to take shape.

“Development in the Garden City is now moving forward at pace," he said.

"Working with landowners, developers and utility companies we are accelerating the delivery of infrastructure and new housing.

“There are already 387 homes built with another two developers on site preparing to build 400 homes.”

For more reaction from the planning committee meeting, see next week's Dartford and Gravesend Messengers.