A GARDEN Town will contain 23,000 homes, double the previously understood amount.

Planned for the Essex and Hertfordshire border, the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town was previously earmarked for up to 10,000 homes.

According to a statement released by project partners Harlow Council, East Hertfordshire District Council and Epping Forest District Council however, 16,000 homes will be built on site by 2033, with a further 7,000 following at an unspecified date.

With Essex and Hertfordshire county councils also offering support, a 'Town Quality Review Panel' has been put in place to provide 'critical friend' advice to planning authorities.

It will be made up of 18 planning and design experts and led by Peter Maxwell, director of design at the London Legacy Development Cooperation and currently master-planner of the redevelopment of Queen Elizabeth Park.

Claire Hamilton, garden town director, said: “We are delighted to have such an exceptionally high calibre of panel members who are all excited to be part of the process of planning and designing Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

"This provides us with a great opportunity to deliver the highest quality of development that will provide fantastic places for people to live, work and socialize now and in the future.”

“The first Quality Review Panel session will take place in May this year and I would like to wish each member of the panel a very warm welcome to the project.

"The panel’s wide ranging knowledge and experience will be instrumental in embedding the Garden City principles into the Garden Town and achieving the ambitious vision that the authorities have for it."

The Panel will begin its work this spring by reviewing the Spatial Vision and Design Charter for the Garden Town.

In the future they will advise the councils involved and 'review schemes' within the Epping Forest District.

The Garden Town will likely be funded predominantly through the Housing Infrastructure Fund, a central government pot of £5bn earmarked for the building of 400,000 homes.

A bid for £175m for the project was shortlisted last month.