The garden city in Ebbsfleet was given a pat on the back from government on Monday (August 8) after the new housing and planning minister gave it the thumbs up.

Gavin Barwell MP, is reported to have been impressed by the upbeat Ebbsfleet building target of 15,000 homes for the area, as well as plans for the new primary school at Castle Hill opening in September 2017.

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Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell at Ebbsfleet

Mr Barwell said: “This government is determined to build the homes people need and to help them achieve their ambition of home ownership, and I am confident we can deliver many of them in Ebbsfleet.

“Ebbsfleet Garden City has great potential with its high speed transport links and I was pleased to see today the progress made so far.”

The MP for Croydon Central was also briefed on the £12m bridge linking the green city to Ebbsfleet International Station scheduled to open in early 2019.

The huge 40 metre-long link will run two-lanes wide with pedestrian footpaths and a cycle path built in as part of the design.

It has been predicted that the Springhead Bridge will reduce travel times on foot from Springhead Park to the station from 25 minutes to just eight minutes.

As far as building goes, the minister is believed to have been happy with the Ebbsfleet Green progress where Redrow is starting on its 180 new homes; the Eastern Quarry where Circle Housing is building 52 homes for affordable rent and 73 for shared ownership; and Persimmon which has started on its 170 home build.

Springhead Park, where Countryside has returned after four years, will complete the first of its next phase of 123 homes in early 2017 .

Paul Spooner, Interim Chief Executive of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said: “The minister saw first-hand the pace of development in the Garden City and the advances that have been made in the last year.

“Our developers are on target for 600 new starts on site this year, 300 of which will be completed.

“The minister could see the speed at which new properties are being delivered in Ebbsfleet Garden City.”