Ebbsfleet Development Corporation takes over garden city planning powers

Ebbsfleet International Station is on the high-speed rail line from London to Europe

The corporation set up to administer Britain's first garden city since the 1940s has taken over planning powers for the area.

The Ebbsfleet Development Corporation has assumed control in the hope it will help drive the development of 15,000 homes.

Attempts have been made to build at Ebbsfleet since 1996.

The corporation's chief executive, Robin Cooper, said the area needed to be "unified".

'Proud'

He said: "We're building the first garden city in Britain for 100 years and we want to build a community which people feel proud of.

"We are working with Dartford, Gravesham and Kent County Council, but we are now the planning authority making decisions on what's going to happen to the garden city here.

"It's about pushing the rate of building around here, creating new jobs and providing some impetus to this area."

The government has said it will invest £200m for infrastructure.