The man leading the construction of a new garden city in Kent has said he will fight large-scale landlords wanting to buy up all the new homes.

Robin Cooper, chief executive of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said he did not want “massive investors” snapping up houses in the area.

Chancellor George Osborne pledged last year that 15,000 homes would be built in the area between Gravesend and Dartford, primarily in the Eastern Quarry next to Bluewater.

The development corporation has powers to approve planning applications for houses and can spend £200 million on infrastructure to get constructors moving.

However, Mr Cooper admitted he was not sure how he could stop buy-to-let landlords snapping up all the new properties – even though he wants the homes to go to families.

He said: “It has to be a mix. We wouldn’t want massive investors coming in and buying blocks of 100 houses because you end up with very odd communities who are not commited to the area.

“You need a bit of that in the stock in case, for example, you have a doctor come in for three months or something like that.

“I wouldn’t be against someone buying a second house and renting that out but I wouldn’t want institutional investment coming in and buying whole blocks.

“How we stop it is a good question.”

“A lot of families can’t get a mortgage so the only way for people to live somewhere is for people like us to buy houses and rent them out...” - Mark Slater, Dartford landlord

Landlords have questioned the stance, saying many families will not be able to live in Ebbsfleet garden city if buy-to-let landlords are barred from buying up homes.

Mark Slater, who owns more than 20 properties in Dartford and the surrounding area, said many first time buyers are still unable to buy homes and rely on properties being available for rent.

Mr Slater, who is owner and managing director of Regent Development in Dartford, said: “It’s a free market. You can do what you like.

“I don’t know why he has an issue like that. People like myself look after the buildings.

"I can’t see any detrimental reason why we shouldn’t be able to buy the properties compared to everyday punters or housing associations.

“A lot of families can’t get a mortgage. The only way for people to live there is for people like us to buy houses and rent them out.”

Mr Cooper said he was also not keen on the area being used purely as a dormitory town for London.

He said affordable homes built in the area – which will make up 20-30% of housing – will be allocated only to people in Kent.

He said: “If you look at schemes like St Mary’s Island in Chatham, something like 90% of the people who have moved in have moved less than three miles.

“People are raising their family and don’t want to move too far. This will be very attractive for local people and it is probably not on the radar of people in London.”