A school, hotel, 950 homes, community hall, allotments and sports pitches are set to be built in Swanscombe.

The site on the old Northfleet West Substation between Southfleet Road and the A2 is about the size of 50 football pitches.

In 2008, plans to build 1,500 homes were approved by Dartford council but work never started after the economic downturn.

This year, National Grid joined forces with Redrow Homes and plans to build up to 950 homes on the site have now been revealed during two public exhibitions.

The new masterplan covers the same 38.5 hectares (95 acres) and will offer two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, including around 140 affordable ones.

The site is next to a 250 hectare (618 acres) area known as the Eastern Quarry, another area already granted permission to build up to 6,520 homes.

Redrow says that 30% of the site will be open space and include play parks, a site for a new primary school, allotments, a community hall, hotel, two sports pitches and tennis courts and a cycle route linking to Eastern Quarry.

The two substations and a number of power lines and pylons would also be removed.

The development includes a shopping centre with room for a small supermarket and bars and restaurants.

Developers say Fastrack bus services will be accessible via the Eastern Quarry in the longer term though the 499 and 495 pass the site on Southfleet Road at the moment.

A spokesman said: “Redrow is committed to start building new family homes in summer 2014. Work has already started, including preparing the site with the aim of submitting a planning application by the end of this year.

“Construction traffic routes will be controlled through planning. Heavy vehicles will arrive at the site via the A2.”

If agreed, the first new owners could be moving in by the spring of 2016.

The application is expected to be submitted before the end of the year.