Seven hundred homes, a school and a shopping complex could be built in Northfleet as part of the next stage in the Ebbsfleet Garden City development.

Gravesham council has been asked for its views on the proposal, which earmarks Crete Hall Road as one of the city’s seven strategic sites.

The submission by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) is for a ‘scoping opinion’ which looks at the possible environmental impact.

It means the 29-acre plot of land, coined Northfleet Embankment East, could house eight-storey apartment blocks and 140sq m of retail space.

The managing director of building firm Keepmoat’s Southern homes division, Mike Dempsey, said: “We have been chosen as the preferred bidder in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency and EDC to deliver new homes.

“We are working with stakeholders to finalise the plans and designs of the proposed new homes to ensure the development meets the aspirations for contemporary ‘Garden City’ living. We are proud and excited to be a part of this project.”

The new ‘village’ will have shops and restaurants as well as homes, and has been earmarked as a cultural hot spot. It is close to the remains of artillery defence structure the Gravesend Blockhouse and Rosherville Quay Walls, and opposite Tilbury Fort. Work is going on to build the other six sections that make up the Garden City.

Eastern Quarry is the first section completely bought by developers. The site has outline planning permission for 6,250 homes over three main villages across 500 acres of former quarry land.

One of those villages, Castle Hill, occupies a third of the land and Taylor Wimpey joined Ward Homes and Persimmon to build 1,500 homes.

A school managed by the Leigh Academies Trust, the Cherry Orchard Primary Academy, is due to open in September 2017.

The remaining two thirds of the Eastern Quarry has been sold to Henley Camland to create around 4,700 homes.

In the Ebbsfleet Garden Village section, Redrow Homes secured a contract to build up to 950 new homes. This development will be called Ebbsfleet Green.

Gravesham council has until Monday, September 5 to put its views on The Northfleet Embankment East proposal.

Any planning application will be considered by the EDC at a later date.