What actions are we proposing?
The strategy provides innovative and flexible solutions to treating riverside sites in an urban area (section 5.4) consistent with bringing brownfield land for redevelopment in the town centre, at this attractive but resilient riverside location. A series of cross-sections illustrate alternative concepts developers can explore to address requirements for development, enhance flood management, ecology, and enhanced active travel by the Darent.
Outlining potential alternative approaches to how the relationship between development land and the river could be designed enables the many objectives of riverside regeneration to be reconciled whilst respecting site-specific circumstances.
Dartford Marshes
At Dartford Marshes (in section 5.3) a key concept put forward is to consider creating greater resilience in future by breaching the existing embankment with flood dispersal openings and designing in a new bund embankment. This could contain flood storage water at times of inundation but also enhance the existing the salt marsh/fresh water habitats.
Simple complementary measures, including broadening pathways and sensitively planning for multiuse structures, and integrating into national walking and cycling routes, will be inclusive for healthy access by new neighbourhoods in the area.