The strategy will need to reflect the growing momentum behind the district's regeneration, and a return to pre-recession levels of traffic at the Port of Dover. Key changes to be considered include:
- Phase 1 of the Whitfield Urban Expansion due to start in 2016
- New town centre retail and leisure facilities at St James
- Traffic Management Improvement project at the Eastern Docks
- Junction improvements to support Dover Western Docks Revival
- Dover TAP (Traffic Access Protocol) managing traffic approaching Dover using the A20
- Development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
- HS1 and car park capacity at Dover Priory railway station
- A range of potential changes to the local road network.
In order to produce the new strategy, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff will update a computer model (known as the Dover Transportation Model) with the latest available traffic and census data. The work is due to be completed by summer 2016, and will be agreed by Highways England and Kent County Council Highways in conjunction with Dover District Council. Alongside this, design work will also be undertaken for the future improvement of the A2/A258 Duke of York Roundabout.
Cllr Nigel Collor, portfolio holder for access, Dover District Council, said: "With a growing economy feeding through to increased traffic at the port, and our housing and town centre plans being delivered, now is the right time to update our Transportation Model and Strategy."
Chris Dixon, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff director, said: "It's a great privilege to be working in partnership with Dover District Council on updating the Transportation Model and Strategy for the Town. This builds on our previous joint working with DDC, Kent County Council, Highways England and others in support of the ambitious and exciting growth objectives for Dover."
