A new £75 million lakeside development of family homes and apartments is about to rise on the site of a former cement works.

St Andrews Park at Halling will eventually feature 385 properties by Redrow Homes, from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom detached houses, including 96 affordable homes.

The development will transform the site of the former Cemex/Rugby cement works off the A228 beyond recognition, providing new homes next to the blue lake, an old chalk quarry fed by a large spring and given its bright blue colour by the chalk particles suspended in the water.

The iconic chimney alongside the works was demolished in 2010, marking the end of more than a century of chalk quarrying in the area.

Redrow will also be contributing more than £2.5million towards the local community, including road and public transport improvements, health, nursery and primary school facilities, waste and recycling, and other facilities.

Kerry Jenkins, head of sales for Redrow Homes (South East), said: “We are looking forward to launching St Andrew’s Park, our new flagship development in Halling on the North Kent Downs. It’s a fantastic location set against the backdrop of chalk cliffs, looking down to the River Medway and across the Medway valley.”