Government rejects football club redevelopment

Plans for 3,500 homes and a new stadium around Ebbsfleet United FC have been refused by the government after ministers raised concerns about lead pollution, jobs and a safeguarded minerals wharf.

The proposal for land surrounding the club's Stonebridge Road ground in Northfleet included a new 8,000-seat stadium, hotel, retail and leisure space, community facilities and road improvements.

A decision letter raised concerns over the loss of Robins Wharf and the impact on existing businesses and jobs.

Damian Irvine, chief executive of Ebbsfleet United, said the club was "disappointed" by the decision. Britannia Refined Metals said the site was not an appropriate location for the development.

Irvine said findings on lead toxicity in the report were a "major concern".

He said: "We have been living and working here for the past decades. That one was confusing to us. Should we all be moving out? There are already thousands of people living and working here."

He added: "Northfleet and Gravesham require inward investment.

"The council does a great job trying to maintain infrastructure and provide services. However, our area can be improved with private investment. This was to deliver that - the medical facilities and homes that we badly need."

He added: "For a government that claims to have been builders not blockers and to be reducing red tape and do everything they can, this decision seems to fly in the face of their public words. That's our gut feeling."

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) did not respond to Irvine's comments but said planning permission had been refused after the Secretary of State called in the application.

The department said all material was considered, the minister's decision was in line with the planning inspector's recommendations, and as the decision may be subject to legal challenge, it would not be appropriate to comment further.

In a statement, Britannia Refined Metals said: "We recognise the importance of delivering new housing and supporting regeneration within the borough.

"But we considered that the proposed site was not an appropriate location for this development, given its proximity to significant existing industrial operations and the potential implications for our Northfleet site, which plays an important role in the UK's net zero and critical minerals supply chains."

Gravesham Borough Council, which approved the plan in 2024, said it was not yet in a position to comment on the decision.

The BBC has approached the developer behind the scheme for comment.

The decision letter noted about 650 existing jobs could be lost and questioned whether the scheme was deliverable because much of the land is not owned by the applicant.

The government accepted evidence that future residents could be exposed to harmful levels of lead from a nearby lead refinery.

The letter said residents and visitors would be put at "unacceptable risk" from air and soil pollution and that no credible mitigation plan had been provided.

Benefits included the provision of 3,500 homes, affordable housing, a new stadium, open space and job creation.

Ministers concluded that the adverse impacts would "significantly and demonstrably outweigh" those benefits.

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