Dartford town centre improvements

The scheme consists of various transport measures and public realm improvements for the town centre.

The works will consist of improvements to:

• several junctions
• pedestrian and cycle connections to the railway station
• bus journeys, giving priority for buses through the town centre.

Why we're making changes

Dartford is experiencing considerable growth in employment and housing.

The project is being progressed due to the high levels of housing developments, and future growth in the town. The scheme will maintain the current highway network, and create an attractive public space to help the growth.

What will change

This scheme is being led by Dartford Borough Council. The work is part of a wider programme aimed at improving the economic performance of Dartford town centre through public sector funding of transport/public realm improvements.

Phase 1: Market Street

The Market Street improvements involved the creation of a civic space linking the High Street with Central Park, the Acacia complex and a mixed-use development to the south of the town centre. The changes will consisted of:

• the introduction of Brewery Square to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. This space is now used to host entertainment and events – including Dartford’s Big Christmas Switch On
• simplifying the road and footway layout
• the use of high quality natural stone materials and introduction of pocket parks to improve the environment aesthetics.

Phase 1a: High Street

Dartford High Street last experienced significant improvements over 30 years ago, the area suffered from widespread surface water ponding and uneven surfaces caused by settlement. Improvements included:

• resurfacing the High Street using high quality natural stone materials
• full upgrade of One Bell Corner including public artwork and a green wall. The Glimmer Twins have been installed to celebrate Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
• mechanisms to improve access to the street on market days
• new lighting across the High Street.

Phase 2a: Instone Road/Lowfield Street junction

The subway has been removed and new signalised pedestrianised crossings provided as well as paving to match Market Street, new planting areas and new street lighting.

Phase 2b: West Hill/Highfield Road junction

The junction at the bottom of West Hill has been improved to make pedestrian crossings simpler, and to cut wait times for vehicles. New traffic signals have been installed which will be linked to other traffic signals across the borough. These can be controlled remotely when needed to manage traffic flows, for example when there are incidents in the wider area causing traffic queueing. The scheme also added a new bus stop with a green roof shelter and repaved the road and surrounding footpaths.

Phase 3: Hythe Street and Spital Street

The Hythe Street improvements involve reducing the traffic dominance creating a pedestrian friendly environment. The surfacing will again use high quality natural stone materials. This will improve the connection to between the town centre and Dartford Station.

Phase 4: Westgate Road/Hythe Road junction and Prospect Place/Kent Road junction

These junctions are a vital ‘gateway’ to the town centre. This phase will involve the introduction of technology to manage queuing at these junctions, links to other junctions and to improve pedestrian and cycle flows.

Latest updates

Phase 3A Spital Street

Between Summer 2025 and Summer 2026, Dartford Borough Council will be removing all of the paving and carriageway surfacing within Spital Street and replacing it with new granite paving, raised tables and new surfacing. This Phase is fully funded by Dartford Borough Council.

The improvement works will provide safer and better designed places to cross the busy carriageway, along with new paving and surfacing.

Improvements include:

• Widened footways
• Changes to the Kent Road junction with Spital Street to allow pedestrians to cross and require vehicles to slow
• New contraflow cycleway on the eastern section of the street, separated from pedestrians to improve safety
• New LED street lighting providing more consistent lighting and improving safety
• New seating, tree planting and cycle stands
• Creation of defined parking bays; amendments to existing parking controls

Please note the final stages of this work will include overnight road closures in Spring 2026 for the road to be resurfaced.

View the technical drawings setting out these works in detail.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding these closures visit Dartford Borough Council’s website.

Later phases

The later phases are currently being designed. This includes:

• Phase 3: Hythe Street.
• Phase 3a: Spital Street.
• Phase 4: Westgate Road/Hythe Road junction and Prospect Place/Kent Road junction.

For more information visit Dartford Borough Council’s website.

Scheme objectives

The objectives of this scheme are to:

• provide a sustainably accessible, high quality, competitive town centre
• create civic spaces facilitating community cohesion
• make the town centre a destination for leisure-based activities
• reduce local car travel by residents and workers in the immediate vicinity of the town centre to improve air quality levels
• providing high quality green spaces for residents including planters and additional trees to connect the High Street with Central Park
• make sustainable models more attractive alternatives to the car, through the provision of better-connected routes between residential areas and the town centre
• encourage a shift to bus and rail travel when visiting the town centre.

Scheme documents

View the Dartford Town Centre improvement phase plan (PDF, 2.8 MB)

Scheme funding

The Dartford Town Centre scheme is a multi-million project being delivered in several phases. £4.3 million Local Growth Fund has been allocated to the project, with a further £7.7million provided by the Kent Thameside Strategic Transport Infrastructure Programme (STIP). Dartford Borough Council are contributing the remaining funding for the scheme.

Formal decision

The decision by the SELEP Accountability Board to grant Local Growth Funding for the Dartford Town Centre regeneration scheme was made on the 27 April 2018.