Planning permission has been granted for 125 affordable homes in Kent’s burgeoning garden city.

Social housing firm Circle Housing Russet will start construction work on the houses in Ebbsfleet in the summer.

The development is part of plans for the Kings Hill-based company to build 375 affordable homes in its Castle Hill village over the next six years.

It agreed terms on 19 acres of land in the Eastern Quarry with landowner Land Securities last year.

The homes, developed with Canterbury-based architects Lee Evans Partnership, will be a mix of one and two-bedroom flats plus two, three and four-bedroom houses.

Of these, 52 homes will be available for affordable rent and 73 under shared ownership.

“Affordable housing is an essential ingredient to sustainable communities, and we welcome the investment and commitment made by Circle Housing..." - Tom Venner, Land Securities

Circle Housing Russet regional development director Paul Hicks said: “We are incredibly excited that these plans have been approved so that we can start working with our partners and the wider community to deliver hundreds of much-needed affordable new homes within Ebbsfleet over the next six years.”

Ward Homes and Charles Church are already building houses for private sale at Ebbsfleet, where the Government hopes 15,000 homes will be built, although only 79 have been completed so far.

Land Securities development director Tom Venner said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Circle Housing in the delivery of new homes at Castle Hill.

“Affordable housing is an essential ingredient to sustainable communities, and we welcome the investment and commitment made by Circle Housing.

“We look forward to forging a productive partnership with Circle Housing and our housebuilder partners to continue the delivery of 1,500 homes at Castle Hill.”