Policy information sourced from the Gravesham Local Plan - Core Strategy

CS06: Ebbsfleet (Gravesham) Opportunity Area

4.7.17 The Ebbsfleet (Gravesham) Opportunity Area is a substantial opportunity for a high quality, sustainable, mixed use development in line with the long-standing strategy to create a major business district at Ebbsfleet within Dartford as well as Gravesham. Development will bring significant benefits to the Borough and surrounding communities through the delivery of new housing, business employment (within use classes B1a, B1b and B1c) and supporting facilities centred around and well linked to the Ebbsfleet Station transport hub.

4.7.18 Development of the Key Sites will lead to the provision of around 690 new dwellings and around 20,000 sq m gross business employment floorspace (use classes B1a, B1b and B1c), together with supporting retail (use class A1) and other facilities, leisure/entertainment floorspace (use class D2), hotels and restaurants. There is potential for the provision of additional dwellings and business floorspace in the longer term.

4.7.19 Development of the Key Sites will be in accordance with the principles set out below.

4.7.20 The Springhead Quarter Key Site will provide a residentially led mixed use development of around 690 additional dwellings with the potential to provide some business employment floorspace (use classes B1a, B1b and B1c) and some retail floorspace to support the residential development.

4.7.21 The Northfleet Rise Quarter Key Site will provide an employment led development comprising business employment floorspace (use classes B1a, B1b and B1c), leisure/ entertainment floorspace (use class D2), and hotels and restaurants. It will provide a local centre to support the development.

4.7.22 Retailing will be provided to meet the needs of the resident and daytime population and should safeguard the role of Gravesend town centre as the primary retail centre.

4.7.23 Facilities will be provided to support development of the Springhead Quarter and Northfleet Rise Quarter Key Sites and will be accessible to both existing and future communities. These will include the provision of educational, health, social care, sports and community facilities, open space to meet a variety of needs and recycling and waste transfer facilities. These will be provided in accordance with the phasing schedule set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Schedule.

4.7.24 Development will be designed to be public transport oriented to encourage a high proportion of trips by sustainable means and discourage the need to travel by private car. This will be achieved by the provision of frequent bus services and a high quality network of publicly accessible footpath and cycle links between the Springhead Quarter Key Site, Northfleet Rise Quarter Key Site and the Dartford Quarters of the development, Ebbsfleet Station and Northfleet. This will include the provision of a bridge over the Ebbsfleet stream to provide a pedestrian, cycle and road link between the Springhead Quarter Key Site and Ebbsfleet Station access road.

4.7.25 The Council will support the creation of an enhanced transport hub at Ebbsfleet Station (in the Dartford Borough Council area) providing high quality interchange facilities between bus, rail, walking and cycling and the provision of pedestrian and cycle links between Ebbsfleet and Northfleet stations.

4.7.26 Provision will be made for replacement car parking to serve Ebbsfleet Station if any is displaced by development.

4.7.27 The layout of development and mix of uses will have regard to railway noise from HS1 and odour from Northfleet Wastewater Treatment Works. Suitable buffer uses will be required between new residential development and this infrastructure to mitigate the impact of noise and odour.

4.7.28 A network of multi-functional, accessible greenspace will be provided, forming part of the wider Green Infrastructure network, to meet the needs of the resident and daytime population and to enhance biodiversity. This will include the improvement and management of the Ebbsfleet stream corridor.

4.7.29 The Springhead Enterprise Park will be retained in employment use. The Council will support proposals which increase its employment potential and make it more responsive to the market.

4.7.30 The Council will support proposals for Blue Lake that better integrate it with the Northfleet Rise Quarter Key Site, secure environmental improvements, increase its nature conservation value and introduce more beneficial uses where these are compatible with the need to maintain its water abstraction functions and public safety.

For more information please see the Gravesham Core Strategy