Dartford Borough Council
Set on the borders of Kent, London and Essex, Dartford is
uniquely placed at the heart of the Thames Gateway and the
gateway to Europe.
the region. Future high speed
services from Ebbsfleet from 2009
will offer local commuting journey
times to London of just fourteen
minutes – and give Dartford
access to north, south and central
London stations.
Local travel is epitomised by
the Fastrack transport system,
which links central Dartford to
key locations in north-west Kent.
Two routes currently serve local
residents and businesses from the
town centre with access to Darent
Valley hospital, Bluewater, The
Bridge, Crossways, Princes Park
and Ebbsfleet International. All
services connect with London and
Kent routes from the town centre
and main rail stations.
New developments
New developments in Dartford
link to the Thames Gateway –
a government sponsored project
to increase the number of homes
and jobs in the east of London and
into Kent and Essex. ≥
With a population of just over 85,000
and a land area of just 73 km2
Dartford is the smallest of all of
the boroughs in Kent yet has
significant targets for commercial
and residential growth as part of
the Thames Gateway project. Over
coming years more than 15,000 new
homes and 30,000 jobs are planned
for this region in the area north of
the A2 known in development terms
as Kent Thameside.
Though famous for the Thames
Crossing that bears its name,
Dartford is extremely well connected
as a transport hub. Commuters
can use the borough’s five main
stations to travel to Victoria, Charing
Cross, Blackfriars and Cannon
Street in less than 45 minutes,
while the M25, M20 and A2 roads
put Dartford central to through
and destination traffic.
International services at Ebbsfleet
provide fast and efficient travel to
Belgium and France, serving
business and resident alike across
Fastrack ticket machines
Bluewater attracts millions of visitors
every year
Princes Park Stadium is the country’s most ecological sports ground
district
focus
61
district
focus 62
links with universities and
development agencies.
Since working at home is a good
option for start-up businesses,
Taylor Wimpey plc, the developer
of the first phase of housing at The
Bridge, will be building a number
of live/work units close to the
Innovation Centre. Each of the 1,500
new homes on the development
will be equipped with a broadband
connection as a standard feature,
a capability that will not only be
important for the new enterprises
that ProLogis and the Council hope
will blossom, but it will also allow
employees of larger organisations
to work more flexibly.
The residential component is
designed by Wayne and Gerardine
Hemingway through their company
Hemingwaydesign. The Nucleus,
a high quality business hub, offers
advice and support for new and
fledgling businesses. Additional
units encompass a science park,
logistics centre and commercial
office space.
The Bridge includes more than
80 acres of public space, Fastrack
transport and high quality learning
through a new School of the Future
plus sports and leisure facilities.
The Bridge
Dartford’s new developments
include The Bridge; a mixed-use
residential and commercial zone
north of Dartford town and west
of the Dartford Crossing, Ebbsfleet
Valley to the east of Bluewater,
Dartford town centre and
Swanscombe Peninsula.
The Bridge is a partnership project
which brings together Dartford
Borough Council, Prologis and
Taylor Wimpey in an innovative
mixed use project featuring more
than 1,500 new homes and 1.5m
square feet of business space as
well as innovative community space.
At the heart of the science and
technology space is a business
and innovation centre known as
the Nucleus. Open to start-up and
Stage 2 companies as well as to
more established organisations
in the science and technology
sector, the Nucleus offers office
accommodation and a range of
business support services for
both occupiers and for users of
its virtual service. The Nucleus
can also provide access to a seed
capital fund - a vital resource for
growing businesses, together
with networking opportunities,
master-classes, seminars and
The Bridge development brings homes
and businesses together
Around 150,000 vehicles use the Dartford
crossing every day
The QEII Bridge opened in 1991
≥ Dartford Borough Council continued...
Swanscombe Peninsula is adjacent
to the award-winning Ingress Park
and will link to other parts of the
region through new infrastructure
and Fastrack.
Dartford Town Centre
New development is also expected
to revitalise and reinvigorate
Dartford Town Centre over coming
years. Consultation on two of the
main aspects of the town, its
planning policy and town centre
park, reveal that local residents
want to see new emphasis on
fun and leisure in Dartford.
Dartford’s Central Park was 100
years old in 2006 and this coincided
with the increase in the park
size to almost 50 acres with the
purchase of adjoining land from
GlaxoSmithKline. The park is
dissected by the river Darent and
includes children’s play areas,
formal gardens and a skatepark.
The eastern portion of the park, ≥
Ebbsfleet Valley
East of Bluewater new development
focuses on Ebbsfleet Valley, which
encompasses new villages in a
former quarry and a mixture of
commercial and residential use
alongside Ebbsfleet International
Station. The total number of new
homes and businesses in Ebbsfleet
Valley numbers some 10,000
homes and around 20,000 new
jobs. Up to 400 acres of open
and leisure space will be created
as the new villages are built over
the next 20 years.
Swanscombe Peninsula
Future large-scale development
includes an area adjacent to the
river north of Swanscombe –
which is known as Swanscombe
Peninsula West. This first phase,
to be developed by Land Securities,
will include up to 1,750 homes,
commercial floorspace, community
facilities and open space such
as new parks and playing fields.
Dartford’s Central Park offers 50 acres of public open space at the heart of the town centre
The award winning Ingress Park
Dartford Town Centre is set to be
revitalised in the coming years
district
focus
63
district
focus
town and an increase in the facilities
for leisure and recreation.
The main entrance routes into
Dartford have been identified for
improvement so that visitors to the
town have a sense of arrival, either
by road, rail or bus – and find a
warm welcome however they arrive.
At the centre of town are plans to
introduce more structure to the
town’s markets through a market
square – reminding shoppers of
the town’s market heritage. An
anchor-store to the south will be
at the centre of the regeneration
of Lowfield Street which is also
expected to include bars and
cafes with park-facing apartments.
Expansion of the existing shopping
centres will increase the size
of commercial units, aimed at
encouraging retailing multiples
into the town to act as a draw for
new shoppers.
Contact:
Tel: 01322 343434
www.dartford.gov.uk
which was purchased in 2005,
includes the historic Acacia House,
ballroom and fitness centre plus
sports facilities and open space.
Plans to restore the park to its
Edwardian splendour were unveiled
to local residents, visitors and
businesses in February 2007.
These plans were incorporated
into a lottery bid which was
successfully awarded in the
sum of £200,000.
Commercially the town centre is
also under the microscope. The
town’s decline has been steady over
a number of years and piecemeal
attempts to turn it around or
energise the area have been,
in the main, fruitless.
New guidelines, under the strategic
headline of a policy-based ‘area
action plan’ for the town centre,
identify the town’s potential growth
and regeneration over the next
20 years, incorporating more
residential units in the centre of
Plans to introduce
more structure
to the town’s
markets through
a market square
The Orchard Theatre offers premier
entertainment for the South East
Princes Park includes sports
and community facilities
district
focus 64
≥ Dartford Borough Council continued...