Job creation in East Kent is to be speeded up by a simplified planning process.

Following designation of Discovery Park, the former Pfizer site at Sandwich, as an enterprise zone, certain types and amounts of development can go ahead without planning permission.

Following Government clearance, Dover council has adopted a Discovery Park Enterprise Zone Local Development Order (LDO) as a way of stimulating investment and growth.

The LDO, together with business rate relief, will provide an important foundation to companies that wish to move to the site.

They will be able to set up quickly without the usual planning processes. But development proposals falling outside the LDO will still have to apply for planning permission in the normal way.

Tim Ingleton, the council’s head of inward investment, said: “This is a major step which is already creating a lot of interest in the site.

"This is very important news for the area that will simplify the planning process for businesses and provide a major regeneration boost for the district.”

Discovery Park is now home to more than 1,000 jobs, including several hundred retained by Pfizer.

The aim is to create thousands more over the next few years, returning the site to similar job numbers employed by the drugs giant before its shock decision to pull out.

Paul Barber, managing director at Discovery Park, added: “We are already attracting many companies to Discovery Park and confirmation that we have simplified planning status can only help bring even more jobs to the area.”

• Details at www.dover.gov.uk/planning