Over 120 health professionals and community representatives have started planning the future of healthcare in Ebbsfleet Garden City.

The garden city, which will have 15,000 new homes, has been earmarked as the largest of 10 pilot ‘healthy new towns’ by the NHS.

Ebbsfleet Garden City is the largest of 10 Healthy New Town pilot sites and the first of a new generation of garden towns and cities being promoted by Government as an important part of the solution to the national housing crisis.

A spokesman for the NHS said: "The Department of Health has set a target of 26,000 homes to be built on NHS land, the Healthy New Towns programme, as an additional aim, is showing how this land can be used, not just to build homes but also to return benefit to local communities and the wider system."

Bosses priorities for are to reduce obesity in children and young adults, improve access to green space and water and build cycle paths.

Representatives from NHS England, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, and Dartford Gravesham and Swanley Clinical Commissioning Group came together last week with local health care professionals to explore ways to encourage healthy living in the city and develop a new model of care.

Dr Liz Lunt, new model of local care lead at Dartford Gravesham and Swanley Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We have been delighted by the enthusiasm that local GPs and stakeholders have to re-think the model of local health and social care and by the focus on wellbeing of the local community.

“We are very excited by the prospect of what can be achieved at Ebbsfleet Garden City and how we can use the lessons learnt to inform delivery across Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.”

A follow up event will be held in spring 2018 to share early thinking on proposals for the development.

Early ideas that were discussed include a large building with library or gym facilities and internal gardens.

Kevin McGeough, director of the Ebbsfleet Garden City healthy new towns project said: “This is one of the largest public events we have held to date, which highlights how important health and well-being services are to the local communities. We will now work to apply the ideas and suggestions put forward into a credible proposal for a new health and well-being hub to serve the Garden City and surrounding communities.”