On Tuesday, 9 June, the CIHT South East committee and CIHT President, Mitesh Solanki, were hosted by colleagues from the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC), the company behind Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Simon Harrison, Head of Design and Sustainability, kicked off the day with a bird’s eye view of the new city, the first official since 1967 with Milton Keynes. From the Observatory’s balcony, the scale and ambition of the project became clear, with sweeping views of nine walkable and liveable villages set within 1150ha of brownfield land.  

As we headed inside, we were led to an integrated development model. Simon and Kevin McGeough (Head of Strategy and Placemaking at EDC) outlined the planned transport and infrastructure developments scheduled for completion by 2035. This encompasses 15,000 planned homes, over 5,000 of which have already been completed, as the EDC continues to deliver 750 new homes a year, one of the fastest-growing locations in the country.

However, this is more than just a project to address housing shortages in the South East. The work being undertaken by Simon, Kevin and the rest of the EDC underpins a bolder mission to diligently plan integrated housing, transport and green infrastructure, boasting nine unique walkable neighbourhoods on the principles set out by Ebenezer Howard over 120 years ago.  

As we began our tour of the various villages, we were fortunate to see some local wildlife around the Whitecliffe Lakes. Recently, the area hosted the largest park run in Kent, with participants running circuits around the lake's outer ring, crossing bridges at each end. Through the deliberate efforts of the EDC, there is a clear commitment to encouraging residents to take advantage of blue and green spaces (40% of the total land), thereby supporting biodiversity and placemaking.

The wider transport network features a fully electric fastrack bus network that will offer in-street bus charging in 7 minutes when fully operational, and will be within a 5-minute walk for 93% of residents. This first in-class bus network will alleviate reliance on cars, strengthen ties from Gravesend to Dartford and increase the connectivity of the local area. Buses utilise their own segregated track for 70% of journeys within the development, which will soon provide a link between Bluewater Shopping Centre and its 28 million annual visitors, courtesy of a bus-only tunnel through the chalk cliffs.

Those living in the local area testify to the viability and success of the development. 82% of those surveyed feel a sense of community; 86% of respondents state they feel safe in their area; 75% are satisfied with the green and blue spaces. No wonder the Garden City has been designated a Demonstrator Healthy New Town by NHS England.

Additionally, the EDC plans to transfer key community property to the Ebbsfleet Garden City Trust, acting as a guarantor of local assets for future generations, with the trust managing sports facilities, city parks, community centres and more. The EDC team’s coordinated efforts to establish a sustainable, long-term planning vision are clear, drawing a diverse and vibrant community of residents.

The day concluded with an address from Mitesh Solanki, CIHT President, who, after thanking Simon and Kevin for the insightful tour, reiterated the broader importance of improving pathways and opportunities for those in the early stages of their careers across the sector.