Introduction & Vision

Introduction to Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) was set up by Government in 2015 to speed up the delivery of a 21^st Century Garden City.

EDC works with local authorities and local communities to develop a shared vision for the area, providing high quality, attractive and sustainably-constructed housing as well as opportunities for work, with an ambition to create many thousands of jobs. The Ebbsfleet, Northfleet and Swanscombe area has huge potential to create not only new homes, but also a vibrant and cohesive place where people will want to live and work.

EDC has delivered a number of infrastructure projects across the area and is the planning authority for Ebbsfleet Garden City.

You can find out more about the work that EDC does at our website. 

Working with our local communities is a key part of our job and your views are important to us. This website provides details on one of our projects, Ebbsfleet Central East, and we are excited to present our proposals to you and gain your views and feedback. 

Introduction to Ebbsfleet Central

Ebbsfleet Central is an area of land focused around Ebbsfleet International Station and is centrally located within the Garden City and surrounding settlements. It's direct neighbours include Northfleet to the north east and south including Springhead Park, Swanscombe to the north west and Eastern Quarry and Ebbsfleet Green to the west. The majority of the Ebbsfleet Central site is currently used as car parking for the International Station. 

Ebbsfleet Central has been earmarked for development for a significant amount of time and was granted permission for residential and commercial development in 2002. Since then however the proposals have not been delivered and site remains underutilised. 

In 2019 EDC purchased the land so that we could ensure the delivery of development in this location. This includes bringing forward a new planning application and the image below shows the land subject to these new proposals. 

Since then we have been working on new proposals for the site and are planning to submit a new outline planning application for the first phases of development. It is these proposals that we are presenting to you now. 

Red Line Boundary of the Outline Planning Application Area.

The proposals we are presenting are the first step in delivering Ebbsfleet Central and focus on 3 key areas which make up Ebbsfleet Central East. EDC will in future be progressing further proposals for the remaining land. 

Vision for Ebbsfleet Central 

EDC is seeking to deliver a new mixed use development within Ebbsfleet Garden City. Ebbsfleet Central will deliver a new commercial and residential centre providing jobs, homes, community and health facilities alongside shops, cafes and restaurants and open space. 

The vision for Ebbsfleet Central is:

"Ebbsfleet Central will be the heart of Ebbsfleet Garden City, it will capitalise on its unparalleled connectivity to deliver the next generation of high quality, flexible workspace, creating a new dynamic and innovative sub regional business hub integrated through well designed public realm and green spaces with vibrant, sustainable urban neighbourhoods and amenities to support a healthy, happy lifestyle"

Ebbsfleet Central East will be the first planning application and this area is shown below outlined in red. The development area is split into three parcels - Northfleet Rise, Station Gardens and River Park. Further details on the individual parcels is found here.

Ebbsfleet Central East and Surrounding Area

Form of Application 

EDC will be submitting an outline planning application for Ebbsfleet Central East. This type of application establishes the principle of the development and secures the key components of it including: 

• Type and scale of uses
• Important open and public spaces
• Improvements to the Public Transport and Highways Network
• Key community facilities 
• Connections through the development and into surrounding communities

The outline planning permission acts as a framework within which the detail of the proposals can be developed in the future. This detail will be developed as part of future masterplans and Reserved Matters applications. 

Ebbsfleet Central East and its Wider Context

Site and Surroundings

Ebbsfleet Central East lies at the heart of Ebbsfleet Garden City, adjacent to Ebbsfleet International Station. Northfleet sits to the north east and south east of the site, including Springhead Park. Ebbsfleet International Station and the railway line are the western boundary of Ebbsfleet Central East. Further to the north west is Swanscombe and to the west are Eastern Quarry and Ebbsfleet Green.

The northern portion of the Ebbsfleet Central East (referred to as Northfleet Rise) currently consists of station car parking (Car Park C), the River Ebbsfleet, and Thames Way (A226) which runs from north to south. 

The central portion (referred to as Station Gardens) consists of further station car parking (Car Park A & B) alongside the taxi rank, drop-off area and bus stops. This area of the site is bounded by railway lines to the west and north and Ebbsfleet Gateway (A2260) to the south. 

The southern portion (referred to as the River Park) consists of the River Ebbsfleet Corridor and important habitats which run alongside it.

The outline planning application also includes International Way which links the International Station to the wider highway network. 

Aerial View of Car Parks A & B

Aerial View of Car Park C (left) and River Park (right)

EDC's vision for Ebbsfleet Central is:

"Ebbsfleet Central will be the heart of Ebbsfleet Garden City. It will capitalise on its unparalleled connectivity to deliver the next generation of high quality, flexible workspace, creating a new dynamic and innovative sub regional business hub integrated through well designed public realm and green spaces with vibrant, sustainable urban neighbourhoods and amenities to support a healthy, happy lifestyle"

The vision is to create a new 'heart' of the Garden City by:

• Improving connectivity across the Site and into the surrounding communities
• Delivering a variety of homes including affordable homes
• Delivering employment opportunities for all within the Garden City
• Delivering new open spaces and improving current spaces which respect the existing landscape
• Enhancing and providing access to the existing natural spaces including the River Ebbsfleet 
• Delivering key infrastructure including the Community Diagnostic Centre and Health & Wellbeing Hub
• Improving access to sustainable modes of transport.

Character Areas of Ebbsfleet Central 

The Proposed Development

The draft proposals for Ebbsfleet Central East include: 

• Up to 2,100 homes 
• Up to 100,000 sqm. of office floorspace - this could include large office buildings and smaller workspaces
• Up to 10,000 sqm. of retail floorspace including supermarkets, restaurants, bars and cafes and other shops
• Up to 3,100 sqm. of community floorspace
• A Community Diagnostic Centre and Health & Wellbeing Hub - providing primary healthcare (GP) and other community wellbeing space
• New open spaces and connectivity improvements.

The Proposed Approach

EDC is seeking to submit an outline planning application. This type of application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a fully detailed proposal is put forward. 

EDC is looking to secure the following:

• Connectivity
• Building heights
• Density
• Green and blue infrastructure
• Land use

EDC is aiming to submit the outline planning application in Spring 2022. The indicative timescales for the development are set out here. 

For more details on the site and the proposals, please use the tiles on the welcome page.

Masterplan vision and proposed uses across Northfleet Rise, the Station Gardens and the River Park