Whitfield expansion from the air – Photo: Dover District Council –
Twelve bird-themed street names have been approved by Dover District Council as the Whitfield urban expansion takes off.
Building work is well underway on the next stage of Phase 1 of the development off Archer’s Court Road, on land allocated for housing by DDC.
The 12 new streets – which will have 159 homes and form part of Richmond Park – are named after birds of prey and seabirds, including Peregrine Place, Harrier Way, Guillemot Way and Redshank Drive.
Dover Fastrack bus system
The Whitfield Urban Expansion will be supported by a range of infrastructure, including a new health centre and the Dover Fastrack bus system.
Dover Fastrack – a rapid, zero-emission bus service – will connect the new housing at Whitfield with Dover town centre and Dover Priory train station.
A new road between the B&Q roundabout at Honeywood Parkway and Dover Road in Guston is currently being constructed and will be named Farmstead Way. The junction at Dover Road will only be open to buses, cyclists and pedestrians.
The name, recently approved by DDC, was suggested by Guston Parish Council as Guston stems from the Old English word meaning farmstead.
The fleet of electric buses will run on an express route, which will include a new bus, cycle and pedestrian-only bridge across the A2 at Whitfield.
Construction of the foundations for this bridge are underway and the scheme is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Medical Centre
A planning application for a two-storey medical centre on land between Arable Drive and Field View Road has also been submitted to DDC.
The proposed facility would be for 15,000 patients and include some hospital and clinic services.
A development by DDC of 26 affordable homes in Napchester Road in Whitfield is nearing completion. These are a mix of one and two-bedroom flats along with two, three, and four-bedroom houses, as well as a wheelchair accessible five-bed home.
Cllr Nicholas Kenton, cabinet member for planning and environment, said: “Whitfield Urban Expansion is an example of the ambitious investment taking place in the Dover district.
“It is exciting to see so much happening in Whitfield, with the Phase 1 building continuing and the construction of the road for Dover Fastrack and foundations of the new bridge being installed.
“It is so important that much-needed homes are being provided for local families and to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder.
“This development of sustainable, high-quality homes served by community infrastructure, including the rapid, eco-friendly Dover Fastrack, will make Whitfield a great place for people to live and work.”