NORTH Kent's largest new landowner has pledged to work with local communities as it plans thousands of homes in the area.

A land sale of the century has seen London-based Trenport Investments snap up 5,500 acres from Blue Circle Properties.

Various sites include the former quarry at Holborough, near Snodland, parcels of land at Wouldham, Burham and Eccles and the Eurolink business park, Sittingbourne.

Trenport hopes to develop Holborough quarry with housebuilders Berkeley. They have sought planning permission for 1,000 homes.

Trenport property director Tony Parson said: "We are a new name to Kent but we've been involved in development activity for the last 15 years.

"We're firm believers that you get out what you put in and that will certainly involve us working with the local communities just as Blue Circle did."

Trenport will develop other rural sites mainly for housing but there would be some commercial projects. Mr Parson said: "It's likely to be a mixture of retained agricultural land and residential development on the east bank of the Medway."

The land sale for an undisclosed sum follows a change of strategy by Blue Circle, still north Kent's biggest landowner.

As part of its defence against a takeover by French cement group Lafarge, Blue Circle handed over substantial sums to shareholders.

Rick Haythornthwaite, then managing director, believed that disposal of the company's landholdings would do least damage to the cement business.

As it turned out, Lafarge went on to make a second successful bid and Blue Circle is now part of the group.