Policy information sourced from the Dartford Development Policies Plan
DP15: Dartford Town Centre and its Primary Frontages
The revitalisation of Dartford Town Centre as required in Core Strategy Policy CS2, with major investment through new main town centre uses (including retail, leisure, cultural/ entertainment uses, offices, and hotels) will be supported. Weight will be given to transformational redevelopment proposals that achieve significant enhancements to the quality of the town centre through meeting the objectives set out in CS2/ paragraph 2.18 of the Core Strategy. Relevant upgrades where of sufficient magnitude to clearly uplift the town centre’s performance, would include:
- through providing additional town centre attractions; and
- enhancing the public realm and heritage assets, and
- improving vitality by increasing the choice and overall stock of modern retail and leisure premises.
The Primary Frontage identifies the part of Dartford Town Centre where development for A1/ A2 purposes is prioritised. Changes of use to Class A3 and A4, will be permitted in line with Policy DP14:5 and where one of the following criteria are met:
- adjacent shops in the frontage (on either side) are both in A1/ A2 use, or
- the shop has been shown to not be feasible for A1/ A2 use after sufficient effective marketing, and is vacant.
Development for other uses in Primary Frontage will normally only be permitted in accordance with clause 1 above and also Policy DP14:5.
For more information please see the Development Policies Plan