For or against Dartford project?

9:33am Thursday 21st August 2008

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FOLLOWING a planning application for regeneration project Lowfield Vision, which would include a 120,000 sq ft Tesco, reporter VICKI FOSTER talks to people for and against the £300m project.

FOR:

Corporate affairs manager for Tesco, James Wiggam, believes the supermarket will bring people back into the town which will help smaller businesses.

Mr Wiggam said: "The challenge is to bring people back to Dartford and make it a vibrant town centre and I believe the Tesco store will do that."

He added: "It will provide an opportunity for other retailers to grab extra customers coming into our store and hopefully enhance their business as a result of coming to Dartford."

The store will be two levels and will sell food and non-food items, such as electrical, clothing, and health and beauty products. It would also be open 24 hours a day.

Mr Wiggam added: "There will be cafes, restaurants, new homes and more open space. Tesco will act as a draw but is part of a much wider project which actually promises to regenerate Dartford.

"We want to create a shopping environment for Dartford which can help other shops in the area. Tesco is only a small part of the development but it is an important part."

AGAINST:

Jan Perren, a managing director of business Care Matters UK Ltd, is against the project.

The business was based in Lowfield Street for 14 years but was forced to move to Crayford two and a half years ago because of the plans. The business cares for elderly disabled people who are coming out of hospital.

Since the move, some staff have been lost because they had difficulty getting to the new office and advertising on the office window is no longer an option as it is now above street level.

The 63-year-old said: "I don't think the project is right for Dartford. I don't think local businesses should have been pushed out, it's not a nice situation to be in.

"I do think Dartford needs regenerating but I think they should have invested in all the shops which are already there. I don't think the project was well thought out and I think it will cause a lot of smaller shops to go bust."

The West Hill resident added: "We would like to move back to Dartford but we have had no offers from Dartford Council. We all looked after each other it was like a small community and its all gone."

Facts and figures:

Lowfield Vision could see a Tesco store, houses, shops, cafes and restaurants in Lowfield Street, Market Square and Market Street.

It also includes 926 new homes and is expected to create more than 600 jobs.

The plans would also see parts of Lowfield Street and Market Street being pedestrianised and 1,000 underground parking spaces being provided.

Instone Road and Highfield Road would be made into a two-way system and some bus stops would be moved.

A swimming pool currently at the Fairfield Pool and Leisure Centre in Lowfield Street would also be relocated.

Over the last 10 months, the plans have been shown to residents during two exhibitions, with the third and final one being shown on August 22 and August 23.

Developer, St James Investments has now also announced it is proposing to include 24 hour surveillance in Central Park and also that the new residential properties will provide an opportunity for first time buyers.

A date has not yet been set for the plans to be discussed by Dartford Council as it is still waiting some of the planning documents.

Once these have been received, the council will publicise the application and notify residents.

Subject to planning permission work is expected to start in early 2009.

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