The first show home of a new garden city in Kent has been launched by housing and planning minister Brandon Lewis.

The completion of the houses in the Castle Hill development is the first step in creating a 15,000-home community at Ebbsfleet.

In March, the Chancellor George Osborne announced his intentions to build a garden city in the area with £200m of Government investment.

Commercial property company Land Securities has had planning permission for 6,250 homes in the Eastern Quarry for several years but this is their first development on the site. It has owned the land since 2002.

Ward Homes is building the first 150 three and four-bedroom homes on the site, with plans for more expected to be announced in the near future.

Minister Mr Lewis said: “With £200m government backing and the set-up of a development corporation to drive forward the development of Ebbsfleet, there is nothing to hold back plans on paper becoming real homes and communities.”

Land Securities development director Christine Clarke said: “This is a landmark day for our Castle Hill site.

“This is the first of thousands of much-needed new homes which we will deliver at Castle Hill and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community, as well as the government, to build a development which everyone can be proud of.”