Plans for a new medical centre in Greenhithe are moving forward.
Dartford Borough Council and NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (The ICB) are working together to deliver more than £10 million of investment in new healthcare facilities for the local community.
The new Greenhithe Medical Centre will provide modern, purpose-built facilities for the Swanscombe & Bean Partnership and Temple Hill Group GP practices, helping to strengthen local general practice provision and support the needs of a growing community.
Dartford Borough Council acquired the site in March 2026 and has since been working with the ICB and GP practices to progress the development towards construction.
The site already benefits from planning permission for a new medical centre. Following the Council’s acquisition, the scheme has been reviewed and an application has now been submitted to amend the existing permission, including a reduction in the overall floor area, primarily affecting the second storey and roof level facing St Clements Way. The reduction is due to changes in how the space is arranged. Staff and administrative facilities remain, and there is no reduction in clinical or treatment space. Residents and other interested parties will be able to comment through the normal planning consultation process.
The Council has also reappointed specialist consultants who previously worked on the scheme, retaining valuable knowledge of the project and helping work to progress efficiently. Specialist project management support has also been appointed to help take the development through its next stages.
Alongside the planning process, Dartford Borough Council and the ICB are progressing the development of the business case through NHS approvals processes to secure the capital funding for the project.
Work is also progressing with the GP practices that will operate from the new centre, regarding the detailed work on the building design and layout.
Subject to the remaining approvals and funding arrangements, the Council intends to progress the construction tender in advance, with the ambition of enabling work to begin in early 2027.
Construction is expected to take around 16 months, with the new medical centre anticipated to be operational by summer 2028.
Jeremy Kite, Leader of the Council, said:
“This is a hugely positive project for Greenhithe and an important investment in healthcare facilities for the wider Dartford community.
“When the opportunity arose for the Council to acquire the site and help drive the project forward, we were determined to play our part.
“We are now working closely with the ICB and the GP practices towards delivering more than £10 million of investment and creating modern, purpose-built healthcare facilities that will serve this growing community for many years to come.
“There is still work to complete before construction can begin, but we have real momentum behind the project and a shared determination to get it delivered.”
Chris Neill, Interim Chief Commissioning Officer at NHS Kent and Medway, said:
“We welcome the progress that has been made through our partnership with Dartford Borough Council to advance plans for the new Greenhithe Medical Centre.
"Our residents have told us improving access to GP services is a top priority for them. The proposed development would support existing patients and provide additional capacity to meet the needs of a growing population.
"The positive partnership working between the ICB and the Council has enabled the detailed planning needed to support the business case. We look forward to continuing this collaborative approach as the project moves through the next stages of NHS processes."
Note to editor:
The new facility will replace two existing branch sites – Elmdene Surgery (Swanscombe and Bean Partnership) and Ivy Bower Surgery (Temple Hill Group). Swanscombe and Bean Partnership and Temple Hill Group provide primary medical care services from a number of surgeries and will continue to do so.
The practice websites detail the surgery locations - Swanscombe & Bean Partnership, Temple Hill Group - St Edmunds Church, St Edmunds Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 5ND