Seeda Welcomes the Official Opening of Ebbsfleet International Station
14 November 2007
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is delighted to welcome the official opening of Ebbsfleet International Station, which will transform the lives of people travelling from Kent and the rest of the South East into Europe.
With Eurostar journey times of just two hours and five minutes into Paris, an hour and 41 minutes to Brussels and an hour and 10 minutes to Lille – along with a journey of just 17 minutes into London Kings Cross from 2009 – travel to mainland Europe and the capital is set to now be more efficient in the South East than ever before.
Ebbsfleet Valley has been identified as one of four key “Spatial Transformers” across the whole of the Thames Gateway in Communities and Local Government’s (CLG’s) Thames Gateway Interim Plan Policy Framework and the three Greater South East RDAs’ - SEEDA, London Development Agency (LDA) and East of England Development Agency (EEDA) – Draft Economic Development Investment Plan for the Thames Gateway. We believe that Ebbsfleet Valley has the potential to transform the economy in north Kent and attract high value growth business activity and employment.
A major new commercial centre in the heart of Kent Thameside, between Gravesend and Dartford, it will focus on the new International Station. There are huge opportunities in the 300 hectares of brownfield land, at Eastern Quarry
and in the surrounding areas to create new high quality mixed-use communities, employment, retail, leisure and cultural facilities. Around 50,000 new jobs and 25,000 new homes are to be created in Kent Thameside in the next 20 years.
Top priorities for SEEDA in achieving high quality and sustainable growth around Ebbsfleet include the creation of an Institute for Sustainability, with a Science and Industry Campus that will put the Thames Gateway in the lead globally by developing new businesses based the environmental technologies; improving the physical environment for existing communities in Kent Thameside; and ensuring that existing residents benefit from the new schools and job opportunities created by economic regeneration.
Pam Alexander, SEEDA Chief Executive, said: "The successful development of Ebbsfleet Valley is being led by the private sector and SEEDA is working with public and private partners to support the emergence of a successful new commercial centre in North Kent, realising its economic potential for the benefit of the existing local communities and for the wider Thames Gateway area.
"SEEDA and national and local partners have coordinated activity to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to make the development a success; to address the challenges of the network around Ebbsfleet and to develop the community and public infrastructure to support skills and the development of a globally successful knowledge-based economy."
SEEDA is actively involved in projects to improve key areas near Ebbsfleet Valley:
- Dartford Town Centre and Northern Gateway – a masterplan and public consultation have highlighted key issues and challenges facing Dartford Town Centre and the area to the north of the railway line (known as the Northern Gateway). Key land acquisitions needed to bring the scheme forward have been identified and work towards a planning application is
Underway to bring an improved retail and leisure offer to the town centre; improve the public realm and community facilities and develop new employment and residential sites.
- Northfleet Embankment – SEEDA’s 87 hectare site along 2.5km of Thames river frontage offers a stunning opportunity for high quality, mixed-use development close to the town centres of Dartford and Gravesend.
- Swanscombe Peninsula – SEEDA has identified the strong potential of the area as a base for environmental sciences and sustainable construction initiatives and also for new sports and leisure facilities linked to the main transport hubs around Ebbsfleet Valley.
- North East Gravesend Canal Basin – SEEDA, with Communities and Local Government (CLG) funding, has developed a masterplan for the area and whilst studies are underway into the viability of a mixed-use scheme around the refurbished Canal Basin, the first phase of a mixed-use development is already under construction.
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