Latest News and Forthcoming Consultations
New Local Plan Consultation
The Dartford Core Strategy 2011 is part of the current Local Plan and provides the overall development approach for the Borough to 2026. We are now preparing a new Local Plan which will replace the Core Strategy and set out our approach towards development in the Borough into the 2030s.
We carried out a consultation on the Strategic Issues in June/July 2018. The consultation document, responses received and a summary of the main issues raised can be found here.
We are currently gathering evidence on a number of issues, including housing, transport and retail. This evidence and the responses received to our previous consultation will help to inform our future strategic policy approach. We are planning to carry out a second stage Local Plan consultation in November/ December 2019 ('Regulation 18' phase). This will set out a proposed vision and objectives as well as options for addressing the main strategic planning issues in our Borough to 2036.
Five Year Deliverable Housing Land Supply
The five year housing land supply is an important government measure to consider when planning applications for new homes are decided by the Council or Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.
For this reason we carry out a robust calculation process to demonstrate that a sufficient housing supply is deliverable over the next five years. We recently sought feedback from developers on the Draft 2019 five year housing supply PDF, 1864.68 KB. and will finalise the documents in the near future.
Infrastructure, Regeneration and the Thames Estuary
As emphasised at a recent visit and speech by the government's Cabinet Minister for housing and planning, Dartford and Ebbsfleet are at the heart of the longstanding Thames Estuary/Gateway national growth area. Government released their response to the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission’s recommendations earlier this year. One of the commitments is for:
“Improving mobility and infrastructure: Continuing to progress at pace with transport infrastructure investment in the Estuary, including investing around £200 million of Local Growth Fund, £125 million on improvements to the strategic road network at Bean and Ebbsfleet, and multi-billion-pound investments in the Lower Thames Crossing and the Elizabeth Line. We will launch an officer-led, cross government group to realise the wider benefits of the Lower Thames Crossing, as well as supporting local partners in enhancing transport links from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet in Kent.”
To find out more about an exciting potential new transport link through the Borough, see the Crossrail to Ebbsfleet C2E. project.
See our Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) PDF, 1329.67 KB for the investment plans in the sustainable development of Dartford.
Your contact information and interest in our consultations
It is easy to let us know that you would or would not like to be kept informed of Dartford Planning Policy consultations and updates. Please complete this online form. Alternatively, another way to let us know you would not like us to have your details (you will no longer be contacted) is to simply email stating so or call 01322 343213 to find out more.