Policy information sourced from the Dartford Core Strategy

CS 5: Ebbsfleet Valley Strategic Site

At Ebbsfleet Valley, the Council will work in partnership with developers, service providers, Gravesham Council and government organisations to secure early delivery of the mixed use development, which will eventually comprise.

  • a community of up to 10,000 homes, (up to 5,250 assumed to be provided in the Plan period)
  • a business district providing approx 16,900 jobs, (up to 9,500 assumed to be provided in the Plan period)
  • leisure and retail uses to support local residents, workers and visitors d)community facilities required to support the residential community

An anchor use, such as relocated government offices, will be sought to act as an impetus for early development.

Work in partnership to achieve improved interchange facilities between Ebbsfleet Station, Fastrack and local buses and a pedestrian foot link with the North Kent line.

Applications for changes to existing consents or new applications (excluding reserved matters applications determined in accordance with existing consents) will be determined on the basis of the following principles:

  • Creation of a high density business district adjacent to Ebbsfleet Station, with a mix of uses, including residential, generating activity in the daytime, evenings and weekends and ensuring a lively area.
  • Quality of built design at Station Quarter North to signal arrival at an international station through the inclusion of landmark buildings and high quality public realm.
  • Linked residential communities or ‘villages’, with a sufficient critical mass to support services, community infrastructure and the Fastrack service, (see point 4e) At Eastern Quarry and Northfleet West Sub-station, these will consist predominantly of family housing.
  • A walking and cycling network and a Fastrack route across the area encouraging a high proportion of trips by sustainable means.
  • Provision of community infrastructure, including schools, health facilities, sports and leisure facilities, community meeting places and shops provided at an appropriate stage of development to meet the needs of residents located to meet the needs of residents and complementary to existing provision in adjoining communities (see also Policy CS4/1b and CS 26/1b).
  • A mixed use centre at the heart of each residential village, including community facilities and local shop(s), located to be easily accessible by sustainable forms of transport to residents and employees, with phased provision as the development progresses. One of these to provide a more comprehensive range of services and shops (see Diagram 6), with smaller, local facilities in the adjacent centres.
  • Physical and functional integration of the three individual sites in the Ebbsfleet Valley with each other, as far as possible, as well as with the adjoining communities at Swanscombe and Knockhall.
  • Provision of at least 30% of the site as open space , forming a network of multifunctional greenspace linking in to the Green Grid and providing for leisure and recreation purposes, maintenance and improvement and creation of biodiversity corridors and for the management of water.
  • The retention and enhancement of the River Ebbsfleet and other water courses with natural habitat retention or creation along appropriate stretches of the bank side, and provision of flood risk mitigation measures within the development site.
  • Achievement of at least Code Level 4 in the energy category in advance of mandatory requirements. Where development commences in advance of a mandatory requirement for Code Level 6, buildings to be designed in a way that enables retro-fitting of sustainable energy technologies, for example through solar thermal, photovoltaic systems and ground source heat pumps. It may also be facilitated by supply of energy from a low/zero carbon Combined Heat and Power Plant.
  • Achievement of water efficiency to at least Code Level 4/570 in the water use category, or its equivalent in terms of water use reduction, in advance of mandatory standards.

Applications for, or changes to, area masterplans or reserved matters will need to demonstrate that proposals will not undermine the principles to be achieved across the site as a whole, as set out in the outline consent to which they relate.

Proposals Map 3 (p143) shows the site boundaries. Diagram 6 will be used to inform detailed proposals for the site.

For more information please see the Core Strategy