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The latest Dartford news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.

Top story Whitecliffe Developer Seeks to Cut Housing and Road Payments Whitecliffe's developer wants to stop paying off-site affordable housing and road money at Alkerden and Ashmere. Kent Highways has lodged a holding objection. · 6 min read

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Housing Dartford Disabled Facilities Grants Tripled to 85 Homes Dartford adapted 85 homes with disabled facilities grants last year, three times as many as two years earlier. Who qualifies, the £30,000 cap and how to apply. · 4 min read Environment Sea Link Approved: Kent Wildlife Trust Weighs Judicial Review Kent Wildlife Trust says it is exploring a judicial review of Sea Link's consent at Pegwell Bay, and lists the safeguards it won. Updated November 2026. · 5 min read Housing Dartford Temporary Housing Bill Heads for Overspend 378 Dartford households were in council-arranged overnight accommodation in September, up from 326. The council expects its £6.6m budget to be significantly overspent. · 5 min read Health KSS Air Ambulance Patient Who Nearly Lost Arm Now a Trustee Paul Reynolds nearly lost an arm in a farm machinery accident in 2022 and needed 11 operations. He is now a trustee of the air ambulance that treated him. · 3 min read Planning 1,065 Homes Planned on Ebbsfleet Station Car Parks Ebbsfleet Central East plans put 1,065 homes, offices and shops on the station car parks. Comment by 19 November to be safe; site notices run to 26 November. · 5 min read Health New Greenhithe Medical Centre Slips to Summer 2028 The new Greenhithe Medical Centre is now due by summer 2028, not the end of 2027, at a cost above £10m. Plans to shrink its top floor are in. Updated November 2026. · 4 min read Schools Dartford GCSE League Table 2026: Every School's Results Dartford pupils averaged 51.4 on Attainment 8 in 2026, against 46.2 in England. We list official GCSE figures for all 11 mainstream schools. Updated November 2026. · 3 min read Housing Dartford Built 815 Homes Last Year, New Local Plan Eyed for 2030 Dartford completed 815 homes in the year to March, above its 790 target. Officers are now discussing a new Local Plan for 2030. Updated November 2026. · 3 min read Health Heart Stopped Seven Times: Kent Man Meets His SECAmb Crew A Lordswood man's heart stopped seven times on 18 May, and he has now met the crews who saved him. SECAmb, Dartford's ambulance service, had a record month. · 5 min read Health Darent Valley Trust Adopts Steriwave for Orthopaedic Surgery Planned orthopaedic patients at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust will get a five-minute nasal light treatment before surgery. It replaces days of nose cream at home. · 3 min read Shopping John Lewis Crossways Dartford: Sunday Returns Sales Planned John Lewis plans Sunday sales of returned and cosmetically damaged furniture, TVs and appliances at its Crossways warehouse, up to 24 a year. Comment by 16 Nov. · 4 min read Planning Littlebrook Lorry Charging Hub: Plans In, 91 Bays, 24/7 Aegis Energy has applied for a 24/7 lorry and van charging hub on the old Littlebrook power station site, plus 4,000 sq m of warehousing. Comments by 13 Nov. · 5 min read Health Darent Valley Hospital ICU to Grow From 10 to 15 Beds Darent Valley Hospital plans five more intensive care beds, taking its ICU from 10 to 15, plus a roof deck so patients, even bed-bound ones, can get outside. · 2 min read Health Landlord's 8 Minutes of CPR Honoured at SECAmb Kent Awards SECAmb, Dartford's ambulance service, honoured a pub landlord whose 8 minutes of CPR in the rain saved a window cleaner, at Kent awards marking 1,030 years. · 3 min read Food hygiene Dartford Food Hygiene: Tapas Revolution Goes From 1 to 5 Tapas Revolution at Bluewater, rated 1 in July, now holds a 5. A Watling Street shop was rated 1, and 24 Dartford premises got the top mark in all. · 5 min read Sport Princes Park at 20: Dartford FC Brings Back £9 Tickets Dartford FC marks 20 years at Princes Park on Saturday 28 November against Cray Wanderers, with 2006 prices: £9 adults, £5 concessions, under-12s free. · 2 min read Environment Fairfield Leisure Cuts Energy Use 20% After Gas Boilers Go Fairfield Leisure now uses 20% less energy, the council says, after its gas boilers were replaced with heat pumps and more than 800 solar panels were fitted. · 3 min read Health Delilah, 4, Thanked for Helping on Mum's 999 Call A Kent girl of four passed a call handler's questions to her mum during a suspected stroke, then knocked on three doors for help. SECAmb gave her a certificate. · 3 min read Planning 45 High Street Dartford: Eight-Flat Plan Refused Consent Dartford council refuses eight flats at Grade II* 45 High Street, citing harm to its roof, staircase and plan. The owner has six months to appeal. · 4 min read Planning Hythe Street Dartford: Fifth Storey Approved, 26 Flats A fifth storey at 11-27 Hythe Street is approved, taking the old Post Office block to 26 flats. Parking permits are capped at 21, with a waiting list. · 4 min read Schools Wentworth Primary Dartford Gets a Double-Decker Classroom Wentworth Primary can park a red double-decker bus in its grounds for small-group and one-to-one teaching. The council says no planning permission is needed. · 2 min read Parks Hesketh Park Outdoor Gym: 12 Free Machines, £80,000 Hesketh Park is set to get a free outdoor gym with 12 machines, from a rowing station to a cross trainer. The £80,000 plan goes to a council committee tonight. · 3 min read Renting Dartford Landlord Fines to £40,000: What Each Breach Costs Dartford landlords face fines from £3,000 to £40,000 under a new council policy approved by Cabinet on 29 October. Illegal eviction starts at £35,000. · 5 min read Sport Acacia Sports Hall: New Operator Sought on 30-Year Lease Acacia Sports Hall could open 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, under a new operator on a lease of up to 30 years. Cabinet approved the tender on 29 October. · 4 min read House Prices Dartford House Prices Down £17,563 in a Year, Most in Kent The average Dartford home is £342,167, down 4.9% on a year. That is the biggest fall in Kent by a distance, and only ten areas in England fell faster. · 5 min read Fire Ebbsfleet Flat Fire Started by Charging E-Scooter, 2 Burned An e-scooter on charge is believed to have started Friday's Bodycomb Street flat fire in Castle Hill, Ebbsfleet. Two people were seriously burned. · 3 min read Dartford town centre Dartford Co-op Site: £36m Plan, 46-Year Payback Dartford's Cabinet backed a £36.08m plan for 69 homes and a cinema on the old Co-op site, with a two-homes-per-buyer cap. Full council decides on 14 December. · 7 min read Dartford FC Princes Park Roof: Leaks Push Dartford FC Repair Past £800k Water has spread into over 60% of the roof at Dartford FC's council-owned Princes Park. Cabinet agreed up to £300,000 more from reserves on 29 October. · 4 min read Stone Lidl Stone Alcohol Licence Granted: 7am to 11pm, Daily Lidl's planned Stone store can sell alcohol 7am to 11pm daily after councillors granted the licence in full despite six objections. Planning is still undecided. · 2 min read Trains Dartford Christmas Trains: Charing Cross Shut Five Days No trains at Charing Cross or Cannon Street on 27 and 28 December or 1 to 3 January. The Bexleyheath line goes over to buses on 27 and 28 December. · 4 min read Crime Bluewater Assault in Apple Store: Man Arrested, Appeal A woman's hair was allegedly pulled in Bluewater's Apple store on 17 October. A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and witnesses are sought. · 2 min read Business Dartford Business Awards 2026: The Full List of Winners Milly's Cake House, Russell Fewins, Hollywood Performing Arts and ellenor are among the Dartford Business Awards 2026 winners. Every category, in full. · 3 min read Crime Dartford Arrest After Girl Filmed in Prospect Place: Appeal A 47-year-old Dartford man was arrested on suspicion of sex-based harassment after a teenage girl was allegedly filmed in Prospect Place on 10 October. · 1 min read Dartford town centre Hythe Street Dartford Closure From 29 October to May 2028 Kent has made the order: Hythe Street and Orchard Street close from 29 October and can stay shut to 31 May 2028 for Dartford's town centre rebuild. · 5 min read Crime Dartford Robbery Appeal: Three Men Attacked at Home Gardens Kent Police want witnesses after three men were punched and kicked by a group of six at the Home Gardens bus stop in Dartford late on Friday 9 October. · 2 min read Planning Bluewater EV Hub Approved: 24 Bays Under a Solar Canopy A 24-bay ultra-rapid charging hub with an 85-panel solar canopy is approved at Bluewater's Lime Tree Avenue car park, a month after it was withdrawn. · 5 min read Business Europa's Dartford Solar Roof Met 40% of Its Power in Month 1 Europa Worldwide's Shield Road hub got over 40% of its power from a new 600 kWp roof array in its first month. Here is the deal that made it happen. · 3 min read Food hygiene Dartford Food Hygiene: Swanscombe Londis Rated 1 Londis on Stanley Road, Swanscombe, was rated 1 at its first inspection. Two shops got a 3, and Ori Cafe at Bluewater and a school breakfast club got 5s. · 4 min read Planning Dartford Planning: Fulwich Road HMO Would Make Four in a Row A six-bed HMO on Fulwich Road would be the fourth in a row, its own statement says. Plus cladding works at 152-flat Phoenix Court: all 17 new applications. · 5 min read Planning Stone HMO Approved at Whitby Close, Priory Road Refused A six-bed HMO at Whitby Close, Stone, was approved after the 15 October board, capped at six people. A similar Priory Road plan was refused on 7 October. · 6 min read Fairfield Leisure Fairfield Leisure Spinathon Raises £2,434 for Parkinson's 52 cyclists spent three hours on bikes at Fairfield Leisure and raised £2,434 for Parkinson's UK, to buy kit for the Dartford centre's Parkinson's group. · 3 min read Kent Police Dartford Car Meet: 26 Warned Over Shepherds Lane Racing 26 drivers got Community Protection Warnings after racing on Shepherds Lane, police say. Patrols also cover Bob Dunn Way, University Way and Crossways Boulevard. · 3 min read Planning Dartford Planning Committee Cut to 13, Call-Ins Ended 31 Oct Councillors agreed on 12 October, under protest, to cut Dartford's planning committee to 13. Since 31 October objections cannot force a vote on small schemes. · 7 min read Local government Dartford Council Votes for a Referendum on Reorganisation Dartford council backed Jeremy Kite's call for a binding referendum before any reorganisation on 12 October, and rewrote Labour's motion on the triple lock. · 5 min read Stone Lidl Stone: 7am-11pm Alcohol Licence Granted, 6 Objected Lidl won its licence to sell alcohol 7am to 11pm at its planned Stone store on 7 October, over six objections. The planning bid still faces three holding objections. · 5 min read Dartford town centre Dartford Town Centre Masterplan Survey Open Until 25 October Dartford's town centre masterplan survey is open until Sunday 25 October. A second survey asks whether the street drinking and e-scooter ban should be renewed. · 4 min read Swanscombe Swanscombe House Fire: E-Bike Battery on Charge to Blame Three people were treated for smoke inhalation after a house fire in Lewis Road, Swanscombe. Kent Fire and Rescue says an e-bike battery caught fire on charge. · 3 min read Dartford FC Dartford FC Third After 2-1 Ramsgate Loss; Wingate Next Dartford lost 2-1 to Ramsgate and slipped to third, three points behind Welling. Wingate & Finchley visit on Saturday; the women play Brentford in the FA Cup. · 4 min read Food hygiene Dartford Food Hygiene: High Street Fishmonger Rated Zero Shan's Fishmongers & Butchers on Dartford High Street holds the borough's only zero hygiene rating. Four more are rated 1, and all 20 September inspections scored 5. · 6 min read Business Dartford New Companies: 57 Formed in a Month, 8 in Food 57 companies were set up with a Dartford address from 24 August to 24 September, eight in food and drink. Plus the Gazette notices, including Made In Kent Radio. · 7 min read Housing Dartford Temporary Accommodation: 518 Households, Up 20% 518 Dartford households were in council temporary accommodation at the end of June, up from 433 a year earlier. 219 were placed outside the borough. · 5 min read Council Dartford Museum Shuts 1 October for £562,100 Redesign Dartford Museum closes on 1 October for a £562,100 redesign, 84 per cent of it riding on a developer levy bid with no published decision. Reopening hoped for autumn 2027. · 6 min read What's On Dartford Bear Hunt Raised Over £375,000 for ellenor The Dartford Bear Hunt raised over £375,000 for the ellenor hospice, a council report says, and the bear auction made £120,000. How the trail and sale ran. · 5 min read Business St Paulinus Pre-School in Crayford Goes Into Liquidation The company behind the 32-place Crayford pre-school resolved to wind up on 14 September, six months after Ofsted judged it to be meeting the expected standard. · 4 min read House Prices Dartford House Prices Down £7,043: Worst Fall in Kent The average Dartford home is £347,773, down £7,043 in a year. That is the biggest annual fall of any council area in Kent, and flats dropped 4.7 per cent. · 6 min read Business Dimples Day Nursery Darenth Is Now Employee-Owned The founders of the Darenth nursery handed majority control to a trust for its staff on 4 September. It has been Outstanding at its last two Ofsted inspections. · 5 min read Dartford Crossing Dartford Crossing: 7-Month Night Closure Order Now Made Both A282 carriageways from J2 to J30 can shut overnight until about May 2027: Sunday to Thursday 8.30pm to 6am, weekends from 8pm, with a 50mph limit. · 6 min read Dartford FC Dartford FC FA Cup Run Ends: Beaten 2-1 at Tadley Calleva Dartford lost 2-1 at Tadley Calleva in the FA Cup third qualifying round on 3 October, after leading for 72 minutes. How they got there: the 4-2 Hayes win. · 4 min read Dartford town centre Hythe Street Dartford: £3.2m Rebuild Due January 2027 Cabinet is asked on Thursday to tender a £3.225m rebuild of Hythe Street: wider footways, a two-way cycle lane, main works from January 2027. · 6 min read Bins and recycling Dartford Food Waste Collections Start November 2026 Dartford houses get two food caddies this autumn and weekly food waste collections from November 2026, flats in early 2027. What goes in and the liner rules. · 5 min read Crime Dartford Shoplifting Up 69% as Town Centre Violence Falls Shoplifting in central Dartford rose 69% in the first seven months of 2026 while violent crime fell 24%. Police figures, month by month, and the outcomes. · 4 min read Air quality Dartford Air Quality: Council Plans to Lift 3 NO2 Zones No Dartford monitor broke the nitrogen dioxide limit in 2025, so the council plans to lift its three NO2 zones. East Hill still read 39, against a limit of 40. · 5 min read Fly-tipping Dartford Fly-Tipping: 2,583 in a Year, and the Worst Streets Dartford recorded 2,583 fly-tips in the year to July 2026. Green Street Green Road and Knights Manor Way had 39 each, and 30 of 158 fly-tipping fines were paid. · 4 min read Crime Dartford High Street Stabbing: Two Men Charged Two men are charged over Friday's Dartford High Street assault and a knife and baton were recovered. The injured man in his 40s has left hospital. · 6 min read Planning Dartford HMO Rules: 10% Cap Within 50m Now in Force A new HMO is refused if 10% of homes within 50m are already HMOs. Mid-terraces are out, and two and three-bed homes near a school are protected. · 8 min read Dartford Crossing Dartford Crossing: Both Tunnels Shut 8pm Tonight Both Dartford tunnels close 8pm tonight to 5am Sunday, with a one-lane contraflow across the QEII Bridge and three slip roads shut for a 999 exercise. · 6 min read Dartford Larder Dartford Larder One Year On: 300 Households, £4.50 a Shop Dartford Larder has supported more than 300 households in its first year, the council says. How the £4.50 social supermarket works and who can join. · 5 min read Planning Woodman Pub Dartford: 5-Year HMO Backed, Bar Protected Officers back a five-year HMO above The Woodman on East Hill, with 87.3 sqm of ground floor kept as a pub. Councillors vote 17 September; 11 object. · 6 min read Planning Roots Allotments Hawley: 7.4m Tipi and Containers Backed A 7.4m tipi and three containers at Roots Allotments, Hawley, are 'not inappropriate' Green Belt use, officers say. Eight objections; vote 17 September. · 5 min read Dartford FC Dartford FC 2-0 Westfield: Hayes & Yeading Next, 19 Sep Dartford won their FA Cup replay 2-0 and host Hayes & Yeading United at Princes Park at 3pm on Saturday 19 September. Winning is worth £3,375 to the club. · 3 min read Local government North Kent Council Paused: Dartford's 2028 Date in Doubt Ministers paused the North Kent merger on 7 September and told councils to stop implementing it. Dartford's May 2027 borough elections are back on. · 7 min read Fairfield Leisure Fairfield Leisure Dartford: New Gym Open, £923k Pledged The upgraded gym at Fairfield Leisure is open. It is the visible part of £923,000 the operator promised Dartford's council for a five-year contract extension. · 7 min read Planning Bluewater EV Charging Approved, Solar Carport Plan Pulled Six DC charging upstands are approved for the Village car park, at the cost of three parking spaces. A second, bigger scheme was withdrawn on 1 September. · 5 min read Dartford town centre Dartford High Street: One Empty Shop in the Core, 2% One empty unit in Dartford's core High Street, a 2% vacancy rate against 13.7% nationally. Primark has stood empty since January; the Priory Centre is at 10.3%. · 7 min read Local government North Kent Council: Dartford Asks for 19 Seats, Not 18 Dartford and Gravesham found 16% electoral inequality in the plan for North Kent Council and asked for 84 councillors, not 81. Dartford has put £1.5m aside. · 5 min read Roads Dartford Street Lights: 28 Replacements Are Overdue Kent Highways lists 56 street lights and signposts in Dartford that failed structural testing. Twenty-eight are past their date, one since September 2025. · 5 min read Planning 45 High Street Dartford: Flats Refused After Heritage Row Dartford council refused eight flats at Grade II* 45 High Street on 26 October, after the Georgian Group said no proper heritage statement had been supplied. · 8 min read Planning Hythe Street Dartford: Fifth Storey Approved for 26 Flats A fifth storey at 11-27 Hythe Street, approved on 28 October, takes the old Post Office block to 26 flats. The site is in a high flood risk zone. · 7 min read Food hygiene Dartford Food Hygiene: 19 Fives, One Care Home Got 2 Dartford Borough Council published 20 food hygiene ratings in August. Nineteen were top marks, from Bluewater to a Longfield pub. One care home scored 2. · 5 min read Travel Dartford Station Closed All Day Sunday 6 September No trains at Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe for Bluewater or Swanscombe on Sunday 6 September. Buses replace them, and Victoria services are off too. · 4 min read Planning Swanscombe 229-Home Plan: Just 11 at Affordable Rent Countryside wants 229 homes at Ashmere Phase 5, Swanscombe. Just 57 are affordable and 46 of those are shared ownership. Comments close 10 September. · 6 min read Dartford FC Dartford Women's First Win: 4-1 After Going Behind Lelia Awan scored twice in seven minutes and Jade Charlton saved a penalty as Dartford beat Crystal Palace PGA 4-1 for their first win of the season. · 3 min read Schools Dartford Grammar School 8-Classroom Block: Comments to 5 Sept Dartford Grammar School wants a three-storey block of eight classrooms beside the Becket Sports Centre, plus a dance studio for hire. Comments close 5 September. · 4 min read Planning Swanscombe's 70 Affordable Homes: Sage Asks to Rewrite 106 Terms Sage Homes wants the lender clause on 70 affordable homes at Tiltman Avenue, Swanscombe, rewritten so a bank could sell them freely after three months. Comments to 11 September. · 4 min read Bins Dartford Bin Collections After the 31 August Bank Holiday Every Dartford bin round moves a day later from Monday 31 August: Monday's rubbish goes out Tuesday 1 September and Friday's on Saturday 5 September. All five days listed. · 3 min read Dartford Crossing Dartford Crossing Fines Now Out-Earn the Toll: £128.4m Dart Charge fines are £70, £35 if paid in 14 days; pay by phone on 0300 1313 120. Fines raised £128.4m in 2024-25, more than the toll. Residents cap at £25. · 6 min read Orchard Theatre Orchard Theatre Dartford Reopens 12 December with Cinderella The Orchard reopens on 12 December with Cinderella after RAAC removal and an £11.6m budget. Orchard West's last listed show is Al Murray on 4 September. · 4 min read House Prices Dartford House Prices Jump £9,550 in a Month to £351,594 The average Dartford home reached £351,594 in June, up £9,550 in a month, the 8th biggest rise of 295 English areas. Sales, though, keep falling. · 6 min read Jobs Dartford Benefit Claims Hit 2,645, Highest Since 2021 2,645 people in the Dartford borough were claiming out-of-work benefits in July, the most since October 2021. Under-25s are up 20 per cent in a year. · 4 min read Dartford FC Dartford Women's Keeper Scores to Rescue Debut Point Jade Charlton turned in a 91st-minute equaliser as Dartford drew 1-1 before 305 at Princes Park. A day later co-manager Martin McCarthy stepped down. · 3 min read Bluewater Bluewater Winterland Opens 7 November, Approved to 2029 Winterland returns to Bluewater's West Car Park on 7 November, with permission now running to January 2029. The dates, the 9pm curfew and 413 spaces lost. · 5 min read Planning Lidl Plan for Horns Cross: 40 Jobs, Comments Close 1 Sept Lidl wants a 2,184 sq m store on London Road at Horns Cross, with 117 spaces and up to 40 jobs. Eleven objections lodged; comments close 1 September. · 5 min read Planning Littlebrook Power Station Site: Lorry Charging Hub Planned A lorry charging and HVO refuelling hub is planned for 3.3ha of the former Littlebrook power station. The council says it needs no environmental statement. · 5 min read Dartford Borough Council Dartford Council Abolished 1 April 2028: What Happens Next Dartford Borough Council goes on 1 April 2028; North Kent Council, 81 councillors for Dartford, Gravesham and Medway, replaces it. Key dates, money and Monday's deadline. · 7 min read Swanscombe Galley Hill Road: the £50m repair bid is now with the DfT Kent has spent £1.186m keeping the collapsed A226 safe and puts the rebuild at about £50m. Bids closed on 3 August and a government decision is due this autumn. · 6 min read Schools Dartford Ofsted 2026: two schools graded Exceptional Four Dartford schools now have new-style Ofsted report cards. Dartford Grammar for Girls and Leigh UTC took top grades. Here is every area graded, and what the words mean. · 5 min read Business Anthony Jones, Dartford insurance broker, ceases trading The Crossways firm, trading since 1984, has ceased trading and faces an HMRC winding up petition on 19 August. What policyholders and creditors do next. · 3 min read Business Pro Futures Soccer Schools to wind up, creditors meet 12 Aug Both companies behind the Dartford children's football coaching business meet creditors on 12 August to wind up. Claims are due by 4pm on 11 August. · 3 min read