St James Investments’s controversial regeneration plans for Dartford town centre have been thrown out by the secretary of state.
The £94m proposals for a large Tesco store, 500 homes, a gallery and community centre at Lowfield Street went to public inquiry in November of last year following fierce opposition from residents.
Opponents were particularly concerned at proposals to built a road through Central Park, Dartford’s principal green space.
Rejecting the proposals this week, the Department for Communities and Local Government said that the carriageway through Central Park would have an “acknowledged adverse environmental impact” and conflicted with Local Plan policies on protecting open space and the conservation area.
The secretary of state also wrote that the Tesco store would “create a sense of separation from the town centre rather than promoting the integration of the store with the existing retail offer”.
References: EGi News 27/07/06
