Proposed Submission: Gravesham Local Plan Core Strategy

community. It will have started to provide high quality office/light industrial(B1) jobs and will continue to do so in the longer term, continuing theeconomic growth occurring in Gravesend and Northfleet and in the widerEbbsfleet development.3.1.5 Gravesend Town Centre will have built upon its strengths as acommercial centre, public transport hub and heritage riverside town toestablish itself as a dynamic and desirable place to live and work. It will havecontinued to be a focus for shopping, leisure, service provision, culture andtourism. Regeneration will have acted as a catalyst for the improvement of thetown centre's offer where the high quality design and public realm willenhance the distinctive character of the centre.3.1.6 In the rest of Gravesend and Northfleet, smaller scale housingdevelopment and redevelopment will have taken place which reflect thecharacter of the area. Neighbourhoods will have seen their local centrescontinue to provide for their local shopping needs and other facilities will havebeen retained and improved as needed.3.1.7 In the rural area, the more built up rural settlements will have continuedto experience small scale change through infill housing development. Localcentres in the villages will have continued to provide for the local shoppingneeds of rural residents and other services will have been retained andpotentially improved. Some small scale affordable housing will have beendeveloped next to existing settlements to meet local needs. The character ofthe countryside and the diverse rural landscape will have been conserved andenhanced. Proposals that promote the appropriate expansion anddiversification of the rural area economy will have been supported.3.1.8 Regeneration and development will have conserved and enhanced theBorough's rich historic built environment, landscape character and biodiversityas well as respected its distinctive local character. It will also have respondedto the challenges of climate change, by minimising the risk of flooding,protecting flood defences, encouraging water conservation, improving energyefficiency, improving air quality and encouraging the use of low carbon and28