The Requirement

  • Working with Dartford Borough Council in a joint venture partnership, ProLogis was asked to create a sustainable community on a 264 acre site close to Junction 1a of the M25 motorway

The Solution

  • ProLogis developed a masterplan that aims to create The Bridge, an integrated mixed-use development that comprises 1.8 million sq ft of employment space and 1,500 new homes along with leisure, retail, education and community facilities. The development also includes 80 acres of public open space and the award-winning Fastrack public transport system, which has been funded entirely by the development partners.
  • Having secured a pre-let of 670,000 sq ft to J Sainsbury plc, ProLogis undertook a £49.4 million infrastructure and site services contract that included 10 miles of new roads, including the Fastrack carriageway; the installation of over 72,000 feet of electric cable, 148,000 ft of telecom ducting and more than 35,000 ft of gas and water mains.
  • Linking the site to local amenities and railway stations that include Ebbsfleet International, Fastrack offers a viable alternative to private car travel and therefore reduces the impact of the development on the local road network.
  • To encourage an entrepreneurial culture, The Bridge includes the Nucleus, a 30,000 sq ft innovation centre together with live/work units, that will be ideal for start up companies on neighbouring plots.
  • In partnership with local agencies and organisations, ProLogis and Dartford Borough Council have set up a JobShop recruitment service on site to maximise the employment opportunities for local people, together with a LearningShop, that offers training, mentoring and funding advice for local businesses.
  • The first phase of 1,134 new homes is being built by George Wimpey South East. These have been designed to create interesting, individual homes within safe, friendly neighbourhoods.
  • At the centre of The Bridge is a Learning & Community Campus that includes a primary school, nursery, a library point and social services for both children and adults.
  • The Bridge has been sensitively designed to protect and enhance the natural environment. Alongside the more formal landscaped areas, the development provides plenty of space for sport an recreation together with two reclaimed lakes, linked by a network of footpaths and cycle ways.

The Result

  • The first commercial buildings are operational and the first phase of new homes has been completed and sold. ProLogis has started construction work in the SusCon building and the second phase of the George Wimpey development is on site.
  • Fastrack is proving to be a successful means of reducing private car usage.
  • The Bridge is emerging as a centre for environmental industries. It has already attracted the Institute for Sustainability and the SusCon academy, two organisations that are working on the new solutions for sustainable living.

Photo gallery

Aerial photograph Fastrack bus Ground shot of site The Bridge at dusk Ground shot of site The Bridge from a distance

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