Dover Town Investment Zone
Dover Town Investment Zone is the area bounded by Woolcomber
Street, Castle Street, Russell Street, and Townwall Street. This is
planned to be a mixed-use development comprising food retail, other
large mixed-use retail stores and a small element of residential
accommodation. This will also include a hotel on the corner of
Woolcomber Street with a L.E.D Mast displaying Public Art to
conceal the telephone masts which are currently situated on
Burlington House.
The Council has chosen Bond City as its development partner for
this project as they have a proven track record of regeneration in
cities like Manchester and at Greenwich, where innovative design
and public art have been combined to ensure that the new
communities and facilities have seamlessly fitted into the existing
landscape.
What point is the Council at with this redevelopment?
A planning application for an earlier scheme, which incorporated
an Asda superstore, was submitted jointly by Bond City and Asda and
given final approval in August 2009, including negotiated developer
contributions to the existing community. However, following the
decision by Asda to not proceed with the scheme in early 2010, the
Council has been working with Bond City during 2010 to bring
forward alternative proposals for the site.
What are the next steps for this physical regeneration
project?
The allocation of £10m of grant funding from SEEDA and English
Partnerships has enabled the Council to purchase a number of key
properties within and adjacent to the site, including the former
Stagecoach Depot and the Charrington's site at the rear of Castle
Street and undertake a number of pre-scheme demolition works. The
Stagecoach Depot has been demolished and the vacant former
Britannia Public House, 42 Townwall Street and JG's Amusement
Arcade are also to shortly be demolished.
The Council and the Bond City are continuing negotiations with
the other landowners and the leaseholders who are within the
development to reach agreement to purchase their interests.
Lidl who occupy the corner of Castle Street and Maison Dieu
Road, have recently obtained consent for the demolition of their
building and are also understood to be commencing this in the near
future.
Bond City is working with the Council to bring forward
alternative proposals for the site. These are currently being
prepared, with a target for the submission of a new planning
application of mid 2011. As with the previous approved scheme, it
is intended that, subject to the detailed design and clarification
of the archaeology, the Hotel on the corner of Woolcomber Street
and Townwall Street will be the first building to be constructed as
part of a phased development.
Contact Regeneration
Email: regeneration@dover.gov.uk
Tel: 01304 872424
