Policy information sourced from the Dartford Development Policies Plan

DP7: Borough Housing Stock and Residential Amenity

Development should maintain and provide for an appropriate range of housing stock and garden sizes, retention or enhancement of the character, local environment and amenity of established residential areas, and achieve satisfactory quality of residential/ householder development, and accord with policies including DP2, DP4, DP5 and DP8.

Maintaining Garden Land

Inappropriate development on residential garden land will be resisted. Proposals will be permitted only where it is shown development not would result in harm (individually or cumulatively), including from:

  • Loss of choice and diversity in the stock of housing and gardens in communities in the Borough, and/ or
  • Erosion of the local character; with full consideration of criteria 1 and 3a-d of this policy, and other material impacts on residential amenity

Residential Extensions, Infill or Conversions

The extension or creation (for instance by conversion or infill) of residential dwellings will be permitted where supported by development plan policies, including criterion 1 above, material considerations, and where ensuring that:

  • the historical pattern and form of development is preserved, and the design proposed is not visually obtrusive, with existing significant landscape features retained and/ or any loss is mitigated.
  • access into the development is safe and facilitates ease of pedestrian movement,
  • access into the development does not create an undue disruption to the character and appearance of an existing road frontage or unacceptable disturbance to adjacent properties.
  • the proposal does not materially harm existing residential amenity, including through overlooking, loss of privacy, overshadowing, noise, increased level of activity and disturbance, or increased on-street parking.

Inappropriate Residential Conversions

Development will not normally be permitted for the conversion of a single dwelling house of 120 square metres or less original net internal floor space into two or more units. Similarly, the conversion of terraced houses will not normally be permitted.

For more information please see the Development Policies Plan