Former Royal Borough leader lands job creating Kent 'garden city'

The former Royal Borough council leader is now responsible for creating a garden city in Kent after landing a new job.

Simon Dudley, who served as council leader from 2016 to to 2019, has been appointed chairman of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC).

The EDC was created in 2015 to deliver the new Ebbsfleet Garden City in North Kent.

The project, dubbed ‘where London meets the garden of England’, seeks to build thousands of new homes and bring 30,000 jobs to the area amidst a 'grid' of gardens and parks.

Mr Dudley will hold the post for four years, and takes over from Michael Cassidy, who served for six years.

Mr Dudley said: “The creation of Ebbsfleet Garden City is a fantastic opportunity to grow a new community and business location where London meets the garden of England.

“Building on a series of brownfield sites in one of the best-connected locations in England, we aim to deliver a vibrant new city of up to 15,000 new homes.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be appointed by the Prime Minister to one of the most successful regeneration projects in the country and I can’t wait to start.”