Supporting Business in Dover

There is a buzz of activity about the White Cliffs Business Park, Dover district's flagship commercial development at Whitfield located alongside the A2/M2 road from London, and just a few miles from the port of Dover. Spread over 272 acres (110 hectares), the business park continues to attract household names and a raft of companies with international pedigrees.

The development has been made possible by successful partnerships of Dover District Council, English Partnerships, Kent County Council, Dover Harbour Board and Priority Sites. The extensive business park enjoys planning consent for B1, B2 and B8 uses and is divided into three areas:

• Port Zone, a rapidly growing regional logistics centre.
• Industrial and Superstore Zone, home to a mix of well-known names.
• Enterprise Zone, with its business support services in the White Cliffs Business Centre and easy terms for start-up and small companies.

The Enterprise Zone is dedicated to the development of small and start-up businesses. The site is owned by Kent County Council and administered in a joint venture with Dover District Council. The White Cliffs Business Centre is on site, and houses various business support organisations, which act as the main provision for the Dover District. This is home to the Enterprise Agency of East Kent, which manages the units, the Prince's Youth Business Trust, the Education Business Partnership and Dover District Chamber of Commerce. The Business Centre complex is surrounded by accommodation geared to young growing companies. Incubator units and workshops are available together with purpose-built office space at Honeywood House. The Enterprise Park is currently at full capacity, with all 16 workspace units occupied. Among businesses trading from the Enterprise Zone are Dave Hammond Racing, RK Graphics, DH Empire Motors, The Laptop Man, Dover Trophies, and PCM Services, the diversity of trading and size making for a vibrant commercial community.

Industrial & Superstores Zone

Whitfield Court, the Industrial Zone, is at the heart of the development. The £3 million office scheme, developed by Priority Sites in partnership with Dover District Council, meets the need for high quality purpose-built office space in the District. Whitfield Court has attracted a number of blue-chip companies and organisations, including cross-channel ferry operator SeaFrance, which has relocated its UK headquarters to the site, P & O Ferrymasters and Freight Management, The National Farmer's Union and the NHS Health Promotion Service. Phase I of the Whitfield development, which is approximately 67 acres in size, is now almost completely occupied and Priority Sites plan to commence Phase II of the speculative development early in 2002. This phase of the Business Park covers 74 acres, with planned direct access to the A2/ M2 road, which skirts part of the perimeter of the park. A third and final phase is planned for the future, covering approximately 52 acres to be developed for office accommodation; light industry; general industry; storage and distribution. Combined, the three phases of the White Cliffs Business Park Industrial Zone will total 193 acres of the 272-acre site.

Port Zone

Dover Harbour Board is currently re-developing the Old Park Barracks site adjacent to White Cliffs Business Park. The park's Port Zone provides 40 hectares of freight handling and storage facilities aimed at removing some of these functions from the port area. Dover District Council and the Harbour Board jointly designed the development site as a freight logistics centre, providing a logistics sector cluster capable of attracting associated businesses to Dover and the White Cliffs Business The facility will eventually employ around 1,300 people with an additional 300 jobs created within construction. The commitment of the Harbour Board and major logistics occupiers to the site will hopefully convey positive signals to new potential investors. Today, approximately 50 per cent of the Port Zone has been taken and nearly 40 per cent of the remaining land is under offer. Among those building are P&O Trans European, Priority Freight and Mike Beer Transport, whose site will also house Charlton Bodies, the commercial vehicle body builders. Nagel Logistics, Dover Transport Museum and A&S Self Storage are already occupants.

• White Cliffs Business Park Brochure (PDF)