Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has welcomed the launch of the new Thames Gateway Delivery Plan.

The Delivery Plan, which sets out the next steps for the Gateway over the coming 3 years, includes over £9 billion of Government funding for projects aimed boosting the Gateway’s economy and improving the quality of life across the region.

It sets a new jobs creation target of 225,000 in the Thames Gateway by 2016 and confirms the appointment of Sir Terry Farrell as Design Champion for the Thames Gateway Parklands, a new programme backed up by a £35 million fund aimed at enhancing the character and appearance of the Gateway’s natural and urban environment. Plans for a new ‘Eco-quarter’ in the gateway and a new programme responsible for retro-fitting existing homes with energy saving measures have also been announced.

Funding for two Dartford based schemes was announced in the Delivery Plan;

Dr Stoate said; “I welcome the focus on jobs and skills and the announcement about SUSCON. If Kent Thameside is to be sustainable then we have to make sure that there is a proper balance between house building and job creation. We also have to ensure that local people have the necessary skills at their disposal to take advantage of the new economic opportunities presented by new development.”

The MP also welcomed the announcement of improvements to Dartford Station; “This scheme will not only improve access to the station and the appearance of the station area – which is very uninviting at present - it will also help us to integrate the new development on the old GSK land with the rest of Dartford Town Centre.”

He went on to say however; “We still need to find the resources to increase capacity at the station itself. Dartford Station is one of main bottlenecks in the North Kent Line. The station is routinely gridlocked during the peak periods with terminating trains; services into London and through trains to Gravesend often forced to wait outside the station for up to 10 minutes at times for spare platforms. There is an urgent need therefore to provide extra platform capacity and extra sidings outside the station.”

Dr Stoate also underlined the need to invest in Kent Thameside’s existing communities as well as new communities. “The emphasis in delivery plan on ‘quality of life’ in the Thames Gateway is very welcome. We have to make sure though that this extends to existing communities as well as new developments. Many residents in existing communities such as Swanscombe and Greenhithe for instance feel that they are being left behind by the new developments in terms of investment and that’s something we have to address. I would like to see more resources made available therefore specifically to improve the amenities and built environment of existing communities.”