Planning consent has been given to “an aspirational public art installation” in the heart of Kent’s garden city.

The stainless steel installation, named Yerth Threddle, will sit at the centre of the Ebbsfleet Green development.

It will consist of five Tibetan Cherry trees interspersed with five sculptural drawings in mirror-polished stainless steel.

The work was commissioned following a public art survey where residents were invited to share their thoughts and contribute to the visual identity of the artwork.

Sculptor Liz Middleton, who created the artwork for developers Redrow, said: “It has been a pleasure to listen to the Ebbsfleet Green community to develop a piece of art that will sit in the heart of their neighbourhood.

“It was important to create a piece that could reflect the community and resonate with the history and heritage of the Ebbsfleet area.

“Through many conversations with residents, it was clear that a common thread binding the community was the importance of nature and neighbours in their lives.”

She added: “The choice of trees as the main sculptural material was to reflect the theme of nature very literally, but also to emphasise their role in improving the environment as well as acting as a home to birds, insects, lichen, and fungi.

“To complement this, the use of the sculptural forms was to represent people as a ‘thread’, weaving and strengthening community ties to a place.

“The end result hopefully is an engaging and contemplative space that reflects and adapts to the seasons and embodies a link to the past and present, as well as being part of the future of a new and developing community.”

Redrow’s Ebbsfleet Green development entered the final phase of its construction last year.

It forms part of larger plans to build 15,000 homes on the quarry site by 2035.