Policy information sourced from the The Dartford Plan

Policy S5: Sustainable Housing Locations

Sites located in accordance with the Borough Spatial Strategy, Central Dartford, Ebbsfleet and Swanscombe, Bluewater policies, or remaining sites in the identified housing land supply as set out in Appendix A and where after taking into account applicable site constraints the proposed number of dwellings is broadly in line with the projected site capacity, will be permitted for residential development. At three residential-led allocations on the Policies Map and identified by diagrams in Appendix A, residential development will be permitted where:

  • Shown to be designed to:
    • respond sensitively to local topography,
    • respect long distance views to the sites;
    • respect and enhance existing landscaping and landscape settings;
    • facilitate an integrated sense of place and community;
    • create functional open space well related to the development and connecting to the wider green infrastructure network;
    • provide a fine grain of built form ensuring permeability and integration and safe connections to neighbour facilities, services and infrastructure; and
    • Ensure an appropriate scale of development across each site, to create street scenes which contribute to and enhance the character of the surrounding areas.

Demonstrated to be designed to fully utilise and support the public transport corridor and active travel potential of London Road (and also in the case of St James Lane Pit, Watling Street) providing safe, direct and attractive walking links from all dwellings to bus/ Fastrack services, and achieving development well equipped to integrate with the wider cycle network (for commuter, recreational and other cycling).

  • Meeting other Local Plan policy and infrastructure requirements,
  • A design-led process leads to an agreed layout, showing:
    • at St James Lane Pit Stone, up to 870 dwellings, ii. at Stone Lodge Stone, up to 140 dwellings, iii. at Knockhall Road Greenhithe, up to 61 dwellings.

At other locations, residential development will be supported where the benefits of the proposal outweigh the disbenefits, including the sustainability of the site’s location. Unplanned windfall development within Use Class C3 involving a net gain of five or more dwellings should also show that:

  • It is located on brownfield land, unless it has been demonstrated that the site is necessary to rectify a lack of five year supply of deliverable housing land;
  • It is within easy walking distance of a range of community facilities including schools, shops, leisure and recreation services, and is well located with respect to walking/ cycling and good public transport to a choice of employment opportunities; and
  • In the case of major development, it is also shown to be sufficiently served by infrastructure, after allowing for the infrastructure requirements of the sites identified in the housing land supply.

Policy information sourced from the The Dartford Plan