The Government has launched a consultation on its proposed garden city in Ebbsfleet and the development corporation that will help deliver it.
Views have been invited on the geographical scope of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, the planning powers it should have and the composition of its board.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said that the corporation would “help local authorities to drive forward development, co-ordinate investment and solve the issues that have held Ebbsfleet back”.
Announcing the consultation, communities secretary Eric Pickles also named Michael Cassidy CBE as chairman designate of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation. Cassidy is chairman of the City of London property investment board and will be at the helm of the corporation as it helps to deliver Ebbsfleet’s plans, including the delivery of 15,000 homes.
The Government is also offering up to £200 million of infrastructure funding to “kickstart” the garden city.
Pickles said: “Under the last administration progress at Ebbsfleet stalled and with it so too did the development of thousands of new homes for families. This Government is unlocking that potential.
“With £200 million Government backing and the setup of a development corporation to drive forward Ebbsfleet there is nothing to hold back plans on paper becoming real homes and communities.”
