Plans have tonight been approved for almost 500 homes in Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation's planning committee gave approval to Taylor Wimpey to build 332 homes and housing association Clarion to build 163 homes at Castle Hill in Eastern Quarry.

Castle Hill is the first of three villages planned in Eastern Quarry which will have a total of up to 6,250 homes when complete, along with a new market square with shops, bars and restaurants, office space, a new primary and secondary education campus to serve the growing community and a new park.

Taylor Wimpey will build 249 houses and 83 apartments in what will be one of the last phases to complete Castle Hill.

In the second application, Clarion will build 163 homes in Castle Hill, with 140 being for shared ownership or affordable rent.

Ian Piper, chief executive of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said: “These two applications will complete the Castle Hill area where there are already 507 homes being lived in and new communities formed with a further 191 properties currently under construction.

“There is a wide range of housing on offer in Ebbsfleet Garden City as the area now has 1,174 completed properties providing the ideal location for those looking to get on or move up the property ladder.”

Eastern Quarry will be the largest part of Ebbsfleet Garden City and is 1.5 miles wide, covering an area four times the size of Hyde Park.

A third of the development area will be open space, and a large urban park will be formed to help integrate the former chalk quarry with the new homes.

There will be a series of smaller neighbourhood greens, local parks and play areas, all creating a Garden City feel.