Dover Secures £3.2m Future High Streets Funding

Enhancing Dover’s cultural and creative offer and better connecting the high street and waterfront lie at the heart of a successful £3.2m bid by Dover District Council (DDC) to the Government’s Future High Streets Funding.

Together with a £1.7m commitment from DDC’s Town Centre Regeneration Fund, the £4.9m plans will deliver two key projects designed to increase footfall and local spending on the high street.

The plans complement existing projects to rejuvenate Dover town centre, including the £9.1m Lottery funded restoration of the Grade I Listed Maison Dieu and a £2.95m Coastal Community Fund project to reinvent the Market Square.

Bench Street creative space

At the heart of the latest plans is a £2.9m project to comprehensively redevelop part of Bench Street.  Providing a key thoroughfare between the waterfront and town centre, a new creative space will form part of a mixed-use development that will also include seven residential units.

Reimaging the Townwall Street/A20 Subway

A £2.0m reimagining of the subway under the A20 on Townwall Street will encourage greater movement of people between the town centre, waterfront and cruise terminals, and link with the £250m Dover Western Docks redevelopment, including the new marina.

Together with the proposed Creative Centre at Bench Street this will enhance the offer of the lower high street and create a feature for the area.

Roger Walton, DDC’s Strategic Director (Operations and Commercial), said: “Town centres have a key role to play as we come out of lockdown.  This new funding helps us to deliver projects that will change public perceptions of Dover, from a place to pass-through to a destination people want to visit, stay and live with a vibrant mix of retail, leisure and cultural opportunities appealing to both residents and visitors alike.”

You are able to keep up to date with our articles, news and publications by following us on our social media channels below:

 HOME