Consultation on the Dartford Borough Council Draft Windfall Sites SPD

Dear Consultee,

In accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 the Council is today undertaking consultation on the Draft Windfall Sites SPD.

An early draft version of the SPD was made available for comment in May 2014.  The draft Windfall Sites SPD has been updated based on the comments received during this early stage consultation, as well as feedback received in the course of using the Windfall Sites Practice Note for determining planning applications.

The draft version of the SPD was made available for comment in May 2014 and the draft Windfall Sites SPD has been updated based on the comments received during this early stage consultation.

The Windfall Sites SPD (attached) is accompanied by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening Statement, which concluded that the SPD does not require an environmental assessment.  This Screening Statement, along with the Public Participation Statement and the Public Notice can be found on the web page at www.dartford.gov.uk/windfallsites

The revised Windfall Sites SPD was approved for consultation by Cabinet on 24th July 2014. You are invited to make representations on the Draft Windfall Sites SPD during the consultation period, which runs from Friday 25^th July until Friday 5^th September 2014, and ends at 5:00pm.   The online response form or the dedicated representation form should be used to submit your comments.  They contain important information on data protection issues and will help ensure that your views can be clearly recorded. 

Comments can be made by:

•     Completing an on-line response form at  www.dartford.gov.uk/windfallsites

•     Emailing a response form to LDF@dartford.gov.uk

•     Posting a response form to Planning Policy Team, Dartford Borough Council, Civic Centre,   Home Gardens, Dartford, Kent  DA1 1DR

Response forms and the Draft Windfall Sites SPD are also available on the Council’s website at www.dartford.gov.uk/windfallsites or can be viewed at the following locations (please check opening hours):

-          Dartford Civic Centre

-          Dartford Library

-          Ashen Drive Library

-          Fleetdown Library

-          Greenhithe Library

-          Longfield Library

-          Summerhouse Drive Library

-          Sutton-at-Hone Library

-          Swan Valley Library

-          Temple Hill Library

Response forms can be requested by emailing LDF@dartford.gov.uk or by calling 01322 343213.

After the close of consultation, the responses received will be considered and the SPD will be amended as appropriate prior to adoption. The key issues raised by respondents will be summarised in the Public Participation Statement including details of how the issue was dealt with in finalising the Windfall Sites SPD for adoption.

The key stages are as follows:

•   Early-stage consultation on the Draft SPD (completed)

            •      Comments reviewed and SPD updated (completed)

•   Consultation on the Draft SPD (this stage)

•   Consideration of comments and preparation of Public Participation Statement and final SPD

•   Adoption and Publication on the SPD (Autumn 2014)

Please can you acknowledge receipt of this email and address any other correspondence regarding this matter to LDF@dartford.gov.uk

If you are no longer the correct contact for the Council’s Development Plan documents, could you forward to the right person in your organisation and let us know so that we can update out records accordingly.

Thank you

Regards

Katie Gill

Planning Policy Team

Dartford Borough Council

01322 343213

WALK TALL PRESENTS...

Highest accolade for the community centre heroes Eddie and Angie Ward of Greenhithe

 By  Lizzy Massey lmassey@thekmgroup.co.uk

Knockhall Community Centre

A husband and wife team have been honoured for their tireless work transforming a community space.

The Greenhithe Community Centre in Alexander Road was draughty and cold, the toilets and kitchen were not fit for purpose and parking was a problem.

Cue Angie Ward, who began volunteering as the centre’s secretary in 2010 after illness forced her to give up her job as a secretary and payroll manager.

The 55-year-old convinced her husband Eddie to volunteer as the booking clerk, and he took over as chairman in 2011.

Straight away the couple, of Hasted Close, Greenhithe, began to turn the centre around.

Eddie, 76, said: “I hadn’t appreciated how much local charities struggle to get volunteers. I was shocked to see the state of the facilities.

“It has been a challenge but we now have a community centre to be proud of.”

The couple accumulated grants from Dartford council and Kent County Council totalling £32,000.

The centre now has double glazing as well as a new overflow car park, toilets, kitchen and energy efficient lighting.

It was reopened in all its glory on Saturday and Angie and Eddie were presented with Dartfordian Award – the borough’s highest accolade – at the same time. Angie said: “I have gained so much from the experience, from the challenge of learning how to fill in grant applications to the joy of seeing the transformation of the centre.

“These improvements have only been made possible by the support of our fellow trustees and local councillors.”

They were the first Dartfordian Awards presented this year.

Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite (Con) and the town’s mayor Cllr Avtar Sandhu and Mayor of Swanscombe and Greenhithe Cllr Susan Butterfill all gathered for the ribbon cutting.

Lower Thames crossing announcement, 15 July 2014

The Secretary of State for Transport has today announced the governments’ response to consultation on options for a new Lower Thames Crossing.

The response sets out the decisions government has reached taking into account the numerous and diverse points raised during consultation. Namely, it

·         confirms there is a need for a new crossing,

·        advises that, as there is as yet no clear preference, government will develop and appraise route options for both location options A and C before choosing where to site a new crossing. (Option A is at the existing crossing and Option C is a new link connecting the A2/M2 with the A13 and M25), and

·        advises that government expects to consult on a proposed solution in late 2015 or early 2016.

For further details please access the government website at www.gov.uk/government/collections/lower-thames-crossing for

• a short public information video
• Written Ministerial Statement

·         Press notice

• Response to Consultation document
• 5 technical notes

Department for Transport, London SW1P 4DR

Paramount London Consulting on how best to consult...

For more information please click on this link: http://www.londonparamount.info/

Ingress Park Family Fun Day (IPFFD) now in its 4th year

NO EGRESS IN SIGHT AT INGRESS PARK...

No light in sight at end of road-works tunnel in Ingress Park, Greenhithe

02 July 2014

by Alex Matthews almatthews@thekmgroup.co.uk

Roadworks in Greenhithe are taking so long that even vandals in the area are sick of the delay.

A well-used road that runs under The Avenue overpass near the Ingress Park estate in Greenhithe has been out of action since February.

It was closed after Kent County Council decided it was not safe due to “significant subsidence” caused by “extraordinary rainfall” in December of last year and February of this year.

Ingress Park, London Road, Greenhithe.

Ingress Park, London Road, Greenhithe

The unnamed road leads to Greenhithe station and it is solely for the use of pedestrians and a Fastrack bus service run by Arriva.

A cordoned-off area of the road has a sign that reads: “Apologies for any inconvenience caused by the works”, to which people have added “no hurry chaps” and “what works?”

Ellie Wakefield, 23, said: “Even the kids writing the graffiti are getting the hump with it.”

Miss Wakefield, of London Road, Greenhithe, said the road closure meant she had to take a longer journey just to pop out to get some shopping. She would usually take a quick walk down the road with her three-year-old son Joseph-Jones to get to the supermarket.

Ellie Wakefield with her son Joseph-James Robinson  by the underpass

She said: “It’s really frustrating. I don’t really mind walking places when it’s nice outside but that’s not always practical when I want to get to Asda in a rush.” She said a lot of people were getting annoyed, especially those who use the bus to get to work. Miss Wakefield said: “[KCC] could have done this work before. Our council tax has gone up and they’re supposed to be supporting our town.”

A spokesman for KCC said a temporary bus route was now running along London Road through Ingress Park to get to Greenhithe Station.

People could also access the station through a signed pedestrian route in The Dell nearby.

KCC has been discussing plans with Crest Nicholson, the developer of Ingress Park, and work on the road will begin in autumn.

He said: “Revised plans for a solution to the problems at Ingress Park have been submitted.

“They are now being reviewed by the authority’s structures team, who need to ensure that they are robust enough to provide a long-term solution.

“Once agreed, the project needs to be put out to tender, and we expect work to start in the early autumn.”

Paramount Park: London Resort Company Holdings to host a series of public exhibitions unveiling plans for the £2bn theme park on Swanscombe Peninsula.

Please click on the following link :-

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/paramount-park-to-unveil-plans-19496/

We hope that everyone will fully embrace the opportunity to take part in the first stage of public exhibitions, which are specifically designed to establish the preferred communication and consultation methods of the local community and interested parties.

The public exhibitions will be held on:

Thursday, July 10 from 2pm to 8pm

Ebbsfleet Academy (in the sports hall)

Southfleet Road, Swanscombe, DA10 0BZ

Friday, July 11 from 11am to 2pm

Eastgate (North Kent Community Church)

141 Springhead Parkway, Gravesend, DA11 8AD

Friday, July 11 from 4.30pm to 8pm

British Legion Greenhithe

London Road, Greenhithe, DA9 9EJ

Saturday, July 12 from noon to 5pm

Swanscombe Leisure Centre

Craylands Lane, Swanscombe, DA10 0LP