Under the charging schedule, the borough will be divided into two separate charging areas for residential developments and two separate charging areas for retail developments.
A flat rate of £200 per square metre will apply in residential Zone A, which covers the southern half of the borough. In residential zone B, which covers the northern half of the borough, a rate of £200 per sq m for developments of less than 15 homes which provide solely market housing will apply. A lower rate of £100 per sq m is set for developments of 15 homes or more which provide a housing mix that includes affordable housing.
The Council has set a draft rate of £65 per sq m to apply to supermarkets and superstores above 500 sq m in retail Zone C, which covers Dartford town centre. A rate of £125 per sq m will apply to retail developments above 500 sq m in retail Zone D, which covers the rest of the borough. All other retail developments across both zones C and D will be subject to a nil rate levy.
Office, industrial, hotel and leisure uses will all be subject to a rate of £25 per sq m and a borough-wide nil rate levy will apply to all other types of development.
The charging schedule had been recommended for approval in November by an examiner who concluded that the schedule provides an "appropriate basis for the collection of the levy in the borough" and that the Council had "sufficient evidence to support the schedule" and could show that the levy "is set at a level that will not put the overall development of the area at risk".
