Policy information sourced from the Dartford Development Policies Plan

DP2: Good Design in Dartford

Development will only be permitted where it satisfies the locally specific criteria for good design in the Borough:

  • Responding to, reinforcing and enhancing positive aspects of the locality. Opportunities to create high quality places should be taken, particularly using prominent physical attributes (including the Borough’s distinctive riverside environments, cliff faces, extensive network of open spaces and tree coverage).
  • Ensuring appropriate regard is had to heritage assets (see policies DP12 and DP13); and that the character of historic settlements, including the market town of Dartford, is respected.
  • Facilitating a sense of place, with social interaction, walking/ cycling, health and wellbeing, and inclusive neighbourhoods, through a mix of uses and careful design and layout. Good design should be reinforced and enhanced through integrating new development with the public realm, open space and natural features including rivers and lakes/ ponds. Within large developments, public art reflecting local character and heritage should be included.
  • Providing permeability through clear pedestrian and cycle linkages, and where appropriate, active frontages, and a fine grain mix of buildings and spaces. Commercial and public facilities should be well integrated into their surroundings, both within the site and the wider locality.

In determining planning applications, the Local Planning Authority will consider how the height, mass, form, scale, orientation, siting, setbacks, access, overshadowing, articulation, detailing, roof form, and landscaping of the proposals relate to neighbouring buildings, as well as the wider locality. Appropriate weight will also be given to outstanding or innovative design that will help raise design standards in the wider area. Materials should support a sense of place, and be locally sourced or recycled from within the site where possible. Development shown to be suitable in these respects, and the principles in clause 1 above, will be permitted.

Design and Heritage

  • In areas of additional design sensitivity, and where heritage assets (e.g. Conservation Areas) or their setting is affected, and within Areas of Special Character, developments will need to demonstrate accordance with policies DP12 & DP13 as applicable. Particular consideration should be given to design objectives, including in paragraph 6.2. In these areas, proposals incorporating energy efficiency measures and micro-renewables that yield clear net benefits (in line with Policy DP11:2) will normally be viewed positively, provided that good design mitigates the impact on the townscape and they are in accordance with policies DP12 & DP13.

Safe and Accessible Design

  • Spaces should be designed to be inclusive, safe and accessible for all Dartford’s communities, including young, elderly, disabled and less mobile people. The design of buildings, open space and the private and public realm should, where appropriate, reduce the fear of, and opportunities for, crime, paying attention to the principles of Safer Places (or any future equivalent) otherwise development will not be permitted.

Designing for Natural Resources, Flood and Waste Management

  • Layout and design should allow the efficient management/ reuse of natural resources and waste, in order for development to be permitted. Early consideration should be given to the achievement of on-site flood alleviation. Development will also be required to provide adequate and convenient arrangements for the storage of refuse and recyclable materials as an integral part of its design.

Advertisement and Signage Design

  • Signage and advertisements should be of a scale and design that is sympathetic to the building and locality, particularly in the designated Area of Special Advertisement Control, and should not have a negative impact on visual amenity, public safety or the safe and convenient movement of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles, otherwise permission will not be granted.

For more information please see the Development Policies Plan