Kent Thameside (Dartford and Gravesham)

Kent Thameside comprises the urban areas of Dartford and Gravesham north of the A2. The Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership has agreed in its Regeneration Framework a target of 30,000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs for the period 2001-2026. The housing target will be reviewed following the publication of the South East Plan, which currently sets a target for 24,700 dwellings in the period 2006-2026. The majority of these new homes will be built on redundant chalk quarries and redeveloped industrial land.

Key economic assets include the Crossways Business Park, where over 5,000 people are now employed, and Bluewater Shopping Centre which attracts 26 million visitors per year. The development of Kent Thameside has been planned from the beginning around sustainable public transport. Fastrack is a new bus rapid transit system linking established centres to new developments, encouraging greater use of public transport.  Fastrack is now operational along two routes and is carrying 50% more passengers than initially forecast.  In due course, High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel Rail Link) will be the catalyst for the new business and financial services centre at Ebbsfleet International, connecting to London St Pancras in 17 minutes and to Paris in just over 2 hours.  Ebbsfleet Valley will be the showpiece for Kent Thameside. Some 17 million square feet of development is proposed around the new rail station, including up to 10,000 homes. International services began from the station in November 2007 with domestic services following in 2009 (fully operational from December). This will be complemented by regenerating the historic town centres of Dartford and Gravesend and Kent Thameside’s 9 mile waterfront.

A timetabled investment programme embracing road capacity improvements, public transport and traffic management measures is now being prepared to accommodate the planned growth.  Major works on the areas trunk road network are already underway.  The widening of the A2 from Pepperhill to Cobham was completed in Spring 2009.  Improvements to the M25, from junction 1b to junction 3, together with a remodelled junction with the A2 were completed in Autumn 2008.
Partners are determined to ensure that the opportunities to create an outstanding development enhancing Kent Thameside’s rich natural and built heritage and waterfront are not missed.

Click here to visit the Kent-Thameside Regeneration Partnership website (link will open in a new window)