A co-ordinated strategy is needed to join areas of Dover town centre up, capitalising on St James' retail centre and stopping visitors bypassing the town.

So says the draft of a key document that is pivotal in setting out how important matters are decided upon like housing, employment economy, tourism, transport and infrastructure, environment and heritage are provided for in the coming 20 years.

An eight-week consultation has now opened into the Dover District Local plan which can be accessed at doverdistrictlocalplan.co.uk.

Comments on the draft document, which is still a work in progress, will help the council devise the final plan once the consultation has ended.

The consultation document says the town centre has a high vacancy rate, for example of 15.2% in 2017 which was higher than the national average of 11.2% at that time.

Being physically long and sprawling, it has "no key focus" and is "dissected" from the seafront, frequently experiencing traffic problems from the A20. It is thus "bypassed" by port and castle visitors who prefer to head to other destinations.

The document adds the opening of St James' in 2018 repositioned the town centre but the plan says this needs to be capitalised upon.

It explains:"For the town centre to work there needs to be a mix of uses that are complementary to its functioning.

"Empty space represents opportunities for other types of development such as residential, offices, bars and restaurants as well as other leisure uses. Hence moving forward, a more flexible strategy is required to create a more vibrant centre.

"A number of development opportunities exist both within and in close proximity to the town centre. However to deliver these projects and transform the town centre a co-ordinated strategy is required."

The document adds that to support these initiatives there is also the need to develop a connectivity plan for the town centre to provide clear links between different areas.

This would involve moves such as improving accessibility to the mainline High Speed 1 station at Dover Priory, providing opportunities for walking and cycling and enhancing access to historic and cultural assets.

John Angell, chairman of the business group Dover Town Team said: "The local plan really does echo what the Dover Town Team has been saying for the last eight years.

"There is a high vacancy rate in the town which could well rise further, once the full effect of coronavirus has been felt in the economy.

"The long and sprawling sown, dissected by the A20, has been a problem for many years, but priority has always been given to the port over the town, so perhaps now is time for both to work together for the benefit of the town as a whole.

"St James' has been part of Dover for three years now.

"Integrating it into the town with bus stops, taxi ranks and easy and better pedestrian access to and from the old town should now be an essential part of any plan.

"A wide variety of business development, including retail,residential, office, bars and restaurants is essential to help all town centres recover.

" Improved accesibility to the town and its many historic and cultural should be seen as a must.

"But to achieve this the town urgently needs to attract investment.

"It not only needs a plan but also a will to encourage both large and small investment to the centre and this must be a priority for Dover District Council as we begin to rebuild from the pandemic."

The district council is holding a series of online events for residents to find out more before the consultation ends on Wednesday, March 17.

The first is on Thursday, February 4 for members of the public and residents via Teams Live from 7.30pm to 9pm.

Additionally Sandwich Town Council is putting on its own event to make residents aware of the consultation, and how the town will be affected.

It takes place via Zoom on Friday, February 5, at 6pm.

Details for the district council's meeting can be accessed via the website: doverdistrictlocalplan.co.uk.

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