The Government has announced that all Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including SEEDA, will close by 31 March 2012.
Responsibility for economic development and regeneration in England is being passed onto successor bodies, including Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and central Government departments
Our objective is to ensure a professional and cost effective closure by this date. We have pledged to work closely with our partners, contractors and stakeholders to ensure that the past and future economic benefits of key programmes and assets continue to deliver the greatest economic value for the South East and value for money for the taxpayer.
Please click here for more details about our closure plan, transition arrangements and successor organisations.
In action: Kent and Medway: Thames Gateway: Dartford
Dartford forms an integral part of the Kent Thameside strategy as a key existing town centre.
Strategically located a short distance from the M25, A2 and M2, Dartford already benefits from good public transport links with Central London only 40 minutes by rail and a new Fastrack transport system linking the town to Bluewater. However, its reputation has been eroded over recent years with a lack of retail and leisure investments in the town centre and a tired physical environment.
Things are starting to change. Dartford has attracted significant public and private sector investment, a new Fastrack service now connects to the new Ebbsfleet International Station, which now also operates a domestic service, major new mixed-use development at The Bridge to the north of Dartford and the success of Crossways Business Park in attracting international companies.
Dartford Town Centre & Northern Gateway Masterplan
The Dartford Town Centre and Northern Gateway project, previously led by SEEDA with funding from Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Housing and Communities Agency (HCA), aims to regenerate and facilitate new development to create a vibrant and sustainable community in the heart of Dartford, building on the successes of existing and proposed development nearby.
The SEEDA-led masterplan and public consultation has highlighted key issues and challenges facing Dartford. One of the fundamental perceptions confronting the town centre is its disjointed composition, with major barriers such as the railway line, the raised topography of the railway station and the town centre ring road.
This is particularly applicable to the area to the north of the railway line, known as the Northern Gateway, which is both perceptually and physically cut-off from the town centre. In addition, there is a common view amongst residents and visitors that the town centre retail offer is tired and the streetscape unappealing. While the town has a number of historic assets, these are spread out across the town. Finally, Central Park is an important asset to the town but is currently under used. Dartford Borough Council is looking at making improvements to Central Park with funding received from the Parkland Fund to create a “Green Heart” in the Town Centre.
Key Actions for Dartford
- Improve the retail and leisure offer in the town centre
- Improve the public realm and pedestrian linkages
- Creation of new employment and residential opportunities
- Comprehensive regeneration of the Northern Gateway
- Enhancement of Central Park
- Provision of community facilities
- Improve the environment and access to the River Darent
The Northern Gateway Regeneration
The Northern Gateway area of Dartford represents both a major challenge and opportunity to the regeneration of Dartford. Despite being separated from the town centre by the railway line and characterised by industrial and commercial areas lacking good design, the SEEDA masterplan has identified its potential to provide up to 1,250 new homes and 35, 000 sqm of new employment development. Accessibility to the town centre and the river side are also being improved.
SEEDA’s main role in Dartford was helping develop regeneration of this area with public and private sector partners and its sustainable prosperity. One of the key landowners and main employers in Dartford, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is consolidating its operation. This will release significant land for potential redevelopment.
SEEDA, with Dartford Borough Council and Locate in Kent, worked closely with Abbott Murex to retain 285 jobs in Dartford, create 125 new high quality research jobs and a £39million investment programme for a new Research and Development centre in the Northern Gateway.
Investment and Outputs
The remainder of this area is a mixture of small industrial estates and large, dated industrial buildings in fragmented ownership, making it difficult for comprehensive and sustainable development envisaged to be delivered by the masterplan.
Consequently, due to the importance of the Northern Gateway to the regeneration of Dartford, SEEDA (utilising Communities and Local Government funding) has invested over £12million to buy a number of strategic properties. This creates a potential mixed-use development area of approximately nine hectares.
