Policy information sourced from the The Dartford Plan

Policy S2: Infrastructure Planning Strategy

Borough development will be plan-led, and major proposals masterplanned and phased, in order to ensure the co-ordinated delivery of new infrastructure, and that demand is managed to remain within capacity as far as possible until necessary new infrastructure is provided. New services and facilities will be provided to meet Dartford Borough’s needs with key infrastructure provision identifed in Diagram 2 and Table 1. Land will be retained within applicable large development for essential community, travel, food defence and green infrastructure uses.

Community uses, including education, health, sports facilities, cultural services and local shops, will be retained, and new facilities delivered. Development will ensure communities have good quality and sustainable access to the day-today facilities they need including local services and jobs. Overall community infrastructure needs and growth will be regularly reviewed to ensure that a fow of sufcient new facilities are secured in appropriate locations.

New development will be located where well-served by public transport, and within easy walking distance of local facilities and jobs (for new homes, or the labour force/ primary catchment as applicable for other developments). All major development will feature signifcant measures to provide improved safe and secure active travel routes integrated with the surrounding area. Large and trip generating developments should support public transport use and new infrastructure. Focusing on sustainable locations/ transport provisions should support minimising pollution in Air Quality Management Areas and elsewhere.

Opportunities to achieve transport upgrades will be maximised. This includes promoting:

  • New and improved rail services and replacement or enhanced train stations.
  • New and improved Fastrack and other bus services/ routes, including addressing non-dedicated sections of Fastrack routes which are vulnerable to general trafc congestion and bus priority at junctions where possible.
  • Further highway and junction upgrades. Additional investment will be supported, dependent on further assessment by National Highways, Kent County Council, Dartford Borough Council and partners.
  • Use of rivers for the sustainable transport of goods and passengers as part of proposals for strategic scale development.

Physical and other infrastructure necessary to serve development, including beyond the plan period, will be co-ordinated with the relevant agencies, service providers and utility companies (including by liaison between them and the developer where appropriate). Space for strategic infrastructure provision, and access to it, will be reserved as required, including for food defences and waste planning. New high quality and advanced communications infrastructure developments will occur in line with national policy to support the Borough’s needs.

The Borough’s Green Grid network will continue to be upgraded and expanded to a fner grain, including through improving existing green and blue infrastructure such as open spaces and water bodies, achieving appropriate new multifunctional greenspaces, and enhancing biodiversity. Development will also contribute proportionately to green infrastructure, with larger developments making signifcant provision on-site.

Dartford’s infrastructure planning documents will set out the Council’s priorities for infrastructure, and be a principal basis for working with partners on infrastructure delivery. Development will contribute to infrastructure provision as necessary in line with national policy through:

  • Contributions via Dartford’s Community Infrastructure Levy; and/ or
  • Planning obligations secured by Section 106 legal agreements, where applicable, for afordable housing or site specifc infrastructure; and/ or
  • Provision in-kind; or
  • Any successor developer contribution scheme.

Policy information sourced from the The Dartford Plan