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Revitalised Dartford just a short hop from London for commuters

Posted 10 April 2017 by Keith Osborne

Dartford is part of the biggest regeneration project in Europe, it's an ideal location for commuters and features a mix of housing for all budgets...

Work has been underway for some time on major plans to transform Dartford and its surrounding areas into one of the south-east’s busiest new homes hubs.

Regeneration plans exceed just building new homes however, with a host of infrastructure and transport ambitions to support the growing population, provide employment potential and educational facilities and offer leisure facilities to provide a great lifestyle for the area.

For people working in the capital, the town already offers some appeal. An annual season ticket from Dartford to London now costs £2,400, with the town’s station now in London’s Travelcard Zone 8. The town offers services into Victoria (around 55 minutes) and to London Bridge (40 minutes), suiting a broad base of commuters.

A short drive to Ebbsfleet International (under a quarter of an hour from central Dartford) and it’s merely 17 minutes into London St Pancras, though that service is very much more expensive (currently £4,508 for 12 months). Ebbsfleet also offers a 20-minute connection to the busy town of Ashford (£4,716 annual on the High Speed 1 line).

While proximity to the M25 is useful to many, it has also caused traffic problems in and around the town and government funds have been promised to help reform the town centre as a better place for pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists.

Among other sites where decisions are starting to be made about revitalising areas close to the centre of the town, the council has given the green light to plans in Lowfield Street to build three developments there, the first of which will bring 188 new properties. The planned 11% of ‘affordable’ homes allocated is controversial and dramatically lower than the target of 30% in the Dartford Local Plan. The plans also include a café, microbrewery and car club for residents.

Jamie Pearson, a director of developer Meyer Homes, says: “We believe this proposal is a good opportunity to kick-start regeneration and to be the catalyst for other schemes. This will be a new lease of life for Lowfield Street.”

Just outside Dartford, the development of Ebbsfleet into a new Garden City is a flagship scheme that could provide as many as 15,000 new homes over the coming years. Complemented by an adjacent city park and the job opportunities that 45,000 sqm of new commercial space will bring, the ambitions for the town are very strong and work has already started from a number of housebuilders there.

Dartford itself continues to perform well in the Lendinvest Quarterly Buy-to-Let Index Report [], standing at third in the table for annual yield (4.74%) and leading the list for capital growth (17.75%).

Here’s a round-up of great new homes to buy in Dartford:


Phoenix Quarter (Barratt Homes) – The housebuilder has just released a collection of two- and three-bedroom homes here, and buying off-plan will give purchasers the chance to personalise their homes through Barratt’s extensive choice of finishes and upgrades. The development will mix apartments and houses just a few minutes from Dartford’s station. Prices currently start at £275,995. Find out more about Phoenix Quarter from Barratt Homes 

Phoenix Quarter

The Bridge (Taylor Wimpey) – The ‘Gosford’ show house is one of two styles of three-bedroom home available in the final phase of this extensive development not far from the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and Dartford Tunnel crossing the River Thames. The ‘sales village’ is open from Thursday to Tuesday, and prices currently start at £327,500, with Help to Buy available. Find out more about Taylor Wimpey’s new homes

The Bridge

Waterside at The Bridge (Persimmon Homes) – This housebuilder is on the second phase of its part of the 264-acre site known as The Bridge, constructing its own range of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses. Close to the Bluewater and Lakeside shopping centres, this development is served by free public transport and is close to good schools. Find out more about Waterside at The Bridge from Persimmon Homes 

Waterside at The Bridge

The Quarry (L&Q/Anderson) – Due to launch this year and providing up to 600 new homes in Erith, just to the north-west of Dartford, this development will convert a long-neglected quarry site into a new community of houses and flats around public spaces, and a new primary school, within easy reach of existing rail lines and the Crossrail service from Abbey Wood when it opens in 2019. Find out more at thequarryerith.co.uk

The Quarry

Latham Place (RPC/Abbey New Homes) – The last home of the current phase is still available here, a double-fronted ‘Bromstone’ four-bedroom detached home with en suite master bedroom, family bathroom and separate kitchen, family room, living room and dining room. The price of this property is £539,995. Find out more at www.rpclandandnewhomes.co.uk ; 01322 308244

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Latham Place


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