Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

The committee approved reserved matters for the first extensive phase of the Eastern Quarry major urban park. The park will include sports and recreation facilities, an urban square, play areas, a community garden, a skate area and a 9v9 pitch. The scheme also brings ongoing maintenance implications, funded through resident service charges and trust stewardship arrangements.

The corporation commenced the first formal stage of contractor procurement for infrastructure needed to enable phase one of development at EC Central. Submissions were due in mid-February and the board noted a strong level of interest through the tender portal, indicating a live and material procurement opportunity.

The board reviewed the half-year finance position and forecast annual spend. Revenue expenditure is expected to be £7.4m, made up of a £6.0m departmental allocation and £1.4m from reserves, while forecast capital expenditure is £17.3m, mainly on Ebbsfleet Central, community buildings and electricity investment for the Garden City.

The board was told that a revised procurement and contract management policy had been amended to reflect the new Procurement Act and was agreed at the Audit and Risk Committee that morning. Training for staff was due to begin, with the updated policy to come back to the next board meeting for sign-off.

Reserved matters approval was granted for Ashmere Western Village phase 3, delivering 216 new homes with 25% affordable housing, associated infrastructure and a substation. The scheme is a significant residential development within the Eastern Quarry area and is to proceed subject to conditions.

The committee approved reserve matters for Ashmir Phase 4, a 228-dwelling residential scheme in Eastern Quarry/White Cliff. The approval is subject to planning conditions and supplementary updates, with delegated authority to finalise minor wording changes. This is a policy and development control decision enabling the next phase of housing delivery.

The board discussed governance approvals, including changes to delegated authority and standing financial instructions, with a proposed £500,000 capital delegation to the executive subject to further clarification. Members also reviewed performance updates showing housing delivery broadly on track, with emerging build cost and labour risks, and noted progress on infrastructure matters. A major focus was the tragic drowning at Bambber Pit, prompting security reviews, water-safety outreach, partnership working, and summer diversion activities including swimming at Bluewater.

The board reviewed a new consolidated performance report covering year-end finances, delivery and KPIs. Key procurement-relevant points were the provisional underspend on both revenue and capital, delays to the Welden pavilion works due to electrical cable diversion, progress on infrastructure adoption and design appointments, and a proposed move to improve the visual presentation of meetings by the end of summer. The board also noted strong investment delivery, but weaker housing completion performance than target.

The board focused heavily on housing delivery pressures, with members discussing falling starts and completions, market weakness, and the need for better mitigation and market intelligence to support developers. There was also significant procurement and contract activity around infrastructure works at Eastern Quarry central, the fast track beam tunnel, and the transfer/adoption of the Spring Head Bridge and other assets. Governance items included an updated data retention policy, biodiversity duty reporting, and a funding issue where £720,000 could not be passed to Kent County Council because grant conditions were not yet met.