Dartford Borough Local Plan Review Summary
Some background information about the Local Plan Review and the main "headlines" in each chapter are set out below.
If you require any further information or have a particular question, please telephone 01322 343213 or email us on planning.policy@dartford.gov.uk
Strategy
The strategy of the Local Plan Review focuses on the need to meet the expected high levels of growth in a way that is sustainable.In simple terms this means:
- Building on previously developed land wherever possible.The Council estimates that 63% of the houses planned to be built in Dartford up to 2011 will be on brownfield land;
- Encouraging a mix of uses on the major sites;
- Requiring new social and community facilities, such as schools and community halls to be built at the same time as new housing;
- Giving people a real choice between using the car and walking, cycling and taking the bus or train;
- Improving access to public open space by identifying new areas for open space through the creation of a "Green Grid" network;
- Using land and buildings more intensively around identified neighbourhood centres and along routes with good public transport;
- Designing new buildings to reduce energy consumption and demands for water;
- Maintaining strong protection for the Green Belt.More than half of the Borough lies in the green belt where development will continue to be severely restricted; and
- Safeguarding the character and beauty of our countryside and villages.
Development and Design
High quality design of new development throughout the Borough is very important if we are to improve the image of the area.
Good urban design can help reinforce a sense of community and local pride, create a sense of place, reduce crime, encourage investment and generally improve the quality of life.
New mixed-use "urban villages" are to be built at Ebbsfleet and Ingress Park (currently under construction), with others proposed at Eastern Quarry, Dartford Park and Swanscombe Peninsula (West).
These new communities will be mainly residential and will have their own village centre and local facilities.A "walkable neighbourhood" (effectively a mini-urban village) is being built at Bexley Hospital, while other walkable neighbourhoods are proposed at Stone Castle and West Hill Hospital.
Twenty-seven existing key open spaces have been identified as components of the "Green Grid" network.Those development sites where a contribution to Green Grid provision through open space, new links to existing open space, or both is expected.There is a new requirement for community woodland on development sites along the urban fringe of Dartford close to the A2.
The Plan shows key neighbourhood centres for the first time where a range of uses will be allowed which help maintain or improve the centre.A new neighbourhood centre is proposed at the former Cascades site in Watling Street and others will be developed within the major development sites.
Housing
The Council has identified enough land to build nearly 8000 homes between 2001 and 2011.
Adding that to the number of new houses and flats either built or granted planning permission since 1991, the Council is confident that no more land, including Green Belt, is needed to meet the target of 10,500 new homes in Dartford between 1991 and 2011 set by the Kent County Council in its Structure Plan.
Almost all the new houses will be built at the major development sites - Ingress Park, Stone Castle,
Dartford Park, Ebbsfleet, Eastern Quarry and Swanscombe Peninsula - together with West Hill and Bexley Hospital.
In line with government policy, minimum housing densities are now proposed for both new and existing neighbourhood centres and at places within easy walking distance of bus stops and railway stations.
Elsewhere, the Council will wish to see housing densities which are in keeping with the surrounding area.The Council will continue to press developers to provide affordable housing on housing sites.
In addition, a percentage of new homes will be required to be designed to ensure that they can easily be converted for people with disabilities.
Developers will be able to adopt a more flexible approach to the layout and design of residential schemes.This should bring about a greater variety and a more efficient use of land while not comprising amenity, or privacy or above all, quality.
Employment
The Council believes that overall there is sufficient land identified to meet the Structure Plan employment guideline for the borough to 2011.Between 2001 and 2011, the council estimate 13,000 net new jobs will be created in the borough.
Dartford Fresh Marshes (owned by Glaxo SmithKline), land west of Darenth Road and Crossways continue to be allocated for new employment, although no further warehousing will be permitted at Crossways.Eight existing employment areas are identified for continued employment use.
Transport
The route of the Fastrack public transport network is safeguarded on the Proposals Map.Fastrack is a new public transport system that will initially be used by buses between Dartford and Gravesend town centres, linking Darenth Valley Hospital, Bluewater and Greenhithe.
It will be funded by both private and public finance and will provide a real alternative to the car.Later phases of Fastrack will involve the construction of a new link across the Dartford River Crossing Approach between Littlebrook Lakes and Crossways.The Proposals Map also safeguards land for the construction of new slip roads between the M25 and the A2.
Maximum parking standards now apply and provision will be expected to be reduced in locations which benefit from higher accessibility.
Green Belt
The Local Plan Review defines the new Green Belt boundary in the vicinity of Eastern Quarry and St Clements Valley (between Bluewater and London Road) which are shown as removed from the Green Belt as a consequence of the approved Kent Structure Plan.The Local Plan review proposes no other changes to the Green Belt.Tighter restrictions on extensions to, and replacement of, dwellings in the Green Belt are included.
Retailing
New retail development will follow a sequential approach with various elements being accommodated with Dartford town centre, the existing district and local centres, the new neighbourhood centre at Watling Street and in the new centres at Major Development Sites.
The policy approach provides for further development at Bluewater, although this must comply with overall objectives for the integrated planning of the site.
Retail warehousing will be restricted to the Prospect Place area (between Westgate Road and the railway in the town centre), which is nearing completion.Major town centre regeneration is also provided for within the Town Centre at Lowfield Street.
Community Facilities
The provision of essential community infrastructure is crucial to the creation of sustainable new development.On the very large, long term sites, such as Eastern Quarry and Ebbsfleet, the numbers and timings of new community facilities such as schools, community halls, shops and healthcare facilities will be based on guidelines set out in the Plan.
For the major developments sites, requirements for community facilities are set out in specific planning briefs which elaborate on the guidelines.
Leisure and Tourism
Major leisure development will only be allowed at Dartford town centre and the north eastern edge of the town centre.Policies limit new hotel development to Ebbsfleet, Dartford town centre, the north eastern edge of centre policy area, Stone Lodge, Bluewater (one only) and Dartford Park.New standards are included for the provision of public open space.
Natural Resources
New policies are included for controlling drainage and waste water treatment, surface and groundwater protection as well as development within the fluvial floodplain and tidal flood zones.New development proposals are now specifically required to be designed to minimise harmful emissions and improve air quality.
Policies are included for the first time which place restrictions on noise-sensitive developments and noisy uses, including noisy sports and recreational activity.Criteria for permitting renewable energy schemes and requiring energy efficiency in the design of new development are also included in the new Plan.
The Countryside and the Villages
There is continued protection for good agricultural land, the Darent Valley, Sites of Natures Conservation Interest, Sites of Specific Scientific Interest and other areas of nature conservation value.
Revised policy guidelines are included for horse-related facilities.
A new policy on farm diversification is also included.New criteria are set out for facilities for outdoor sport and recreation, including a requirement for community woodland on sites of more than 2 hectares.A new policy to protect rural lanes is included.
River Thames
Current operational at ports and wharves are safeguarded, and a new set of policies requiring high quality built development beside the river, and public access to the riverside is included.
Dartford Town Centre
The town centre boundary is now more tightly drawn to mostly include only the area within the ring road in order to give the Council greater control over changes of use.Beyond the town centre boundary, edge-of-centre locations will be the preferred areas to meet the need for any further retail development proposals which cannot be met within the town centre.
The Plan shows primary (or core) and secondary shopping frontage for the first time in the town centre.Within the core area, further losses of retail uses will be restricted.
Land at the North West Quadrant is safeguarded for a retail warehousing scheme - Prospect Place - which is nearing completion.Mixed use development with a leisure focus is provided for on Land at Millpond Road, and a site along Lowfield Street, adjoining Central Park is identified for a major town centre regeneration scheme incorporating both retail and residential development.
Major Development Sites
This chapter sets out the form of development the Council wishes to see on the six major sites likely to come forward during the Plan period.
New development at Ebbsfleet around the new International Station should incorporate a vibrant mix of activities, which will achieve major opportunities for jobs and inward investment.
Development at Ingress Park - currently under construction - will be mainly residential and take full advantage of the setting beside the River Thames and the restoration of Ingress Abbey.
At Dartford Park there will be opportunities for attracting high growth industries in a science park alongside a new walkable neighbourhood on the site of Joyce Green Hospital.
Stone Castle (Phase 1 is known as Waterstone Park) will be a mix of residential in the form of walkable neighbourhood, with public open space on Stone Pit 10, a new publicly accessible linear park in St Clement's Valley and a high quality business park set back from St Clement's Way.
Eastern Quarry will potentially be the largest new development in the borough - a mix of employment and residential uses, with substantial new public open space and strong linkages to existing communities.
Policies for Swanscombe Peninsula (West) recognise the requirement for long-term land raising and ground modelling and allow for a predominantly residential mixed-use development.
The Swanscombe Peninsula (East) policy recognises the long-term development potential of this site east of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), once CTRL works have been completed.
Implementation and Monitoring
This chapter now sets out a series of 26 targets which will be monitored to assess the efficiency of the Local Plan policies.
