Work is set to get underway to deliver a new sports and leisure hub in Kent’s growing garden city after “vital” funding was secured.
Ebbsfleet Green, a new neighbourhood within the Ebbsfleet Garden City development, is set to benefit from a host of new shared facilities, including new sports pitches, tennis courts and a community hall.
The new community, between Swanscombe and Northfleet, features around 950 new homes which are being built by Redrow’s South East division.
Work started on-site in 2016 with the final homes forecast for completion next year.
Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, the planning authority tasked with speeding up delivery of up to 15,000 homes at Ebbsfleet Garden City, has now agreed to provide additional funding, to the sum of £13million, to support enhancements in the area, including two new buildings.
This includes a new sports and leisure hub – a 1,013 sq m two storey building providing a multi-use sports hall, changing and welfare amenities, a gym, managed reception, café, and gymnasium facilities.
A new FA standard 3G sports pitch, tennis courts, play space and parking will sit alongside the hub and be available for use by residents and visitors to the area.
Planning permission was also recently secured for a new neighbourhood house, a single-story building which will provide residents with meeting facilities, along with IT equipment and a village tool store.
Ian Piper, chief executive of the development corporation, said: “This investment represents a significant milestone in our ambitions to provide fantastic facilities for the growing community at Ebbsfleet, helping to create a vibrant, sustainable place to live.
“We are pleased to have worked alongside Redrow to ensure these buildings meet high standards of design and environmental performance.
“The corporation looks forward to seeing these new facilities become a central hub for community activities in the area, to be used and enjoyed by all.”
Ben Fewsdale, managing director of Redrow South East, added: “Community plays a huge role in choosing where to live and we are committed to investing in this growing neighbourhood.
“As well as building homes for the future, we want to ensure we’re supporting the communities we create through vital funding for local services.
“We’re excited to continue welcoming residents to this growing community.”
Works are scheduled to start on site this autumn, with the two buildings complete and open to the public by the following autumn.
Upon completion, ownership of the new facilities will be transferred to the Ebbsfleet Garden City Trust to manage and maintain them in the long term.
The Trust have appointed Freedom Leisure to provide the day-to-day management and operation of the Sports and Leisure Hub.
In 2014, the government announced plans to create a new locally-led garden city at Ebbsfleet, capable of providing up to 15,000 new homes based mainly on brownfield and former quarry sites.
