Proposed Submission: Gravesham Local Plan Core Strategy

4.7.1 The Ebbsfleet (Gravesham) Opportunity Area lies immediately east ofthe boundary with Dartford Borough and Ebbsfleet International railwaystation, south of the North Kent railway line and west of Springhead Road.This area has previously been the subject of mineral working and theSpringhead area as farmland. The sub-area is partly occupied by the HighSpeed 1 (HS1) railway line and an extensive network of highways includingthe A226 (Thames Way) and A2260 (Ebbsfleet Gateway), as well as a smallpart of one of the station car parks. The valley floor is largely flat and low lyingbut rises to the east and south where both industrial and residentialdevelopment has already taken place at Springhead Enterprise Park andSpringhead Park (Springhead Quarter). The Northfleet Wastewater TreatmentWorks and the Blue Lake (a water-filled quarry) occupy central locations tothe south of Thames Way. Figure 14 above shows the main sub-areascomprising this Opportunity Area.Northfleet Rise Quarter and Springhead Quarter (sub-areas 4.1 and 4.2)4.7.2 The immediate area around the Ebbsfleet International railway station inboth Dartford and Gravesham Boroughs has long been identified as thelocation for a major business district in a mixed settlement with the opportunityto create a regional transport hub around the international rail station. Thejobs potential of the site was a major reason for the Government selecting thelocation as the preferred option for an intermediate station on the thenChannel Tunnel Rail Link in 1994 (now High Speed 1).4.7.3 Outline planning permission was granted by both Gravesham andDartford Boroughs in 2002 for a comprehensive mixed use public transportoriented development across the Ebbsfleet Valley. This split the site into fourlinked quarters - two in Dartford (Station Quarter North and Station QuarterSouth) and two in Gravesham (Northfleet Rise and Springhead). WithinGravesham, up to 1,064 dwellings and up to 125,000 sq.m gross businessemployment floorspace plus supporting uses was granted planningpermission. Although the planning permissions are flexible, the vision hasbeen for a high density office employment driven, mixed use developmentwhich is public transport oriented and has supporting infrastructure to meet101