Plans for a new £75m cultural quarter in the heart of Dartford town centre have edged closer.

Planning officers for the council have recommended its development control board approve the Westgate regeneration scheme at the largely vacant site off Orchard Street when it meets tomorrow.

The application would see the derelict area between Spital Street and Hythe Street transformed into a new "cultural quarter" in the middle of the town , linked with the existing train station and facilities.

Muse Developments, which is working on the Westgate scheme, aims to build 120 new homes, of which a sixth have been designated as affordable housing.

Officers noted this fell short of the council's adopted policy but said that "the quality of the development being provided is necessary to improve the appearance and perception of Dartford Town Centre," adding they felt a reduction in provision was outweighed by the public benefit of the scheme.

The company behind the scheme, which is working in partnership with Dartford council, is also hoping to build a new cinema, shops, restaurants and a flexible "health and wellbeing" building.

Talk had been made of a potential "super surgery" to meet the town and surrounding area's growing demand for healthcare services.

But on this point the report noted: "The council has been undertaking detailed discussions with the NHS regarding the provision of additional doctor's surgery capacity in the town centre and this development site had been designed to provide for additional doctors' surgeries.

"However, at the present time the NHS have decided not to move forward with providing new doctors' facilities at this site and are pursuing other options."

The overhaul of the area will also include renovating the former Co-op building in Spital Street, which has sat vacant since 2007, into a new 85-bed hotel.

Other landscaping changes would see the car park opposite the Atik nightclub in Kent Road transformed into a multi-storey facility with 239 spaces for both private and public use.

More than 600 people submitted views about the scheme when it was first announced two years ago with some 70% expressing their support.

A further round of public consultation was undertaken as part of a series of webinars held in May .

The full plans are available to view at Dartford Borough Council's planning portal by searching application number 20/00409/FUL.

For more information about the project visit www.westgatedartford.com

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