The first council homes to be built in Dartford in decades are almost complete and those most in need of housing have been promised priority.

Hill View in Temple Hill will have 25 homes available to rent for local people who want to move out of a council home that is too big or small for their needs.

They will be ready for people to move in sometime in April, with the idea being that those who do transfer from another council home will free up more accommodation for others.

With Dartford’s homelessness crisis making it the worst place in Kent for the proportion of its population living on the streets, councillors are hopeful the extra housing will help to tackle the problem.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Cllr Patrick Coleman (Con) said: “Temple Hill, going way back, was an innovative plan.

“It was spacious and really tremendous and now we are repeating this ourselves.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to build some properties for ourselves on our own land and they are superb.

"Some people are thinking it’s a private development, but not at all, these are our council properties.

“We are doing our best to get homelessness down and this is one way that will help.”

There will be 12 three-bedroom town houses, 12 two-bedroom flats, and one single-bedroom flat. The council also wants to ensure that the development boasts a diverse community.

Properties will be advertised via Kent Homechoice but some direct offers will also be made.

Tenants must agree to pay rent on time, allow access to a housing officer on a monthly basis for the next six months and then yearly thereafter, maintain the property in good order and not make any alterations, keep communal areas free from clutter, park in marked bays only, not keep pets without council permission, and register on the electoral register within three months of moving in.