In the final in our series on Kent’s housing crisis, we take a look at a housing estate which was billed as a “pioneering regeneration project” when it was launched in 2003.

But 20 years, a recession and a pandemic later, did the dream of an unlikely utopia in the shadow of the Dartford Crossing become a reality? Chris Hunter went to find out

Fifteen years since London mayoral candidate Boris Johnson visited The Bridge in Dartford to see what all the fuss was about, KentOnline followed in his footsteps to see how things have panned out.

Back during Boris’ visit, designer Wayne Hemmingway showed the future prime minister around what was set to be a flourishing sustainable community, built on the site of a 260 acre former isolation hospital, which would include homes, shops, a business hub, sports pitches, a doctors surgery, lakeside walks and Fastrack bus service – free to use for residents.

It was a pioneering vision of the perfect community.

Fast forward to 2023, and on my visit one Wednesday morning in late September there were no crowds and fanfare. In fact, one of the most noticeable things about The Bridge is how quiet it is - but for the buzz of strimmers and mowers being used by the estate maintenance crew.

Down on Ellingham View it's quiet too, except for a few chattering parakeets, and the lakeside homes enjoy a relaxing view out over the water.

Nevertheless, residents Victoria and Aaron Brockwell, say not everything is perfect about life on The Bridge.

They were among the first to move on to the estate, initially moving from Charlton into Cameron Drive in December 2007, and have watched the story of the estate unfold ever since.

"We were there when Wayne Hemingway opened it," recalled Aaron. "He was the one who designed it, which is why there's the wonky posts and things like that.

"We were drawn by the house prices and what looked like the plan at the time" added Victoria. "It has been diluted a little bit and changed, but the idea of having a safe environment that was going to have doctors and schools and shops and everything, a lot of that has come to light, which was good, but that was why we moved out - for a bit of space."

Aaron's description of the 'wonky posts' is no criticism - the posts were designed to be wonky, one of several quirky features and art installations around the estate, but Aaron and Victoria say other aspects of The Bridge have also gone slightly askew.

Victoria continues: "They've changed the plan about what was going to be a big community centre and sports field - some of that didn’t happen. There was the first price crash so everything stopped for a while and nothing was built. We don't have the doctors or dentist, but at least if there's issues with traffic we've got the shops - we've got a nice little community feel, and the good thing with kids is it's just nice and safe for them to go out.

Aaron added: “They took away the free bus pass that we were promised.

"We were meant to have tennis courts over the back, a football pitch. None of it's happened. As time went on the plans slowly started changing without us being told."

Traffic too is a problem for anyone heading out of the estate, with hundreds of lorries travelling to nearby warehouses and regular delays caused by traffic using the Dartford Crossing.

"It's from the tunnel," adds Victoria, "because the only way in and out is going onto Bob Dunn Way. Sometimes I try to go to the school, but because the lorries have blocked the roundabout you couldn't even turn right to go towards Dartford, so I've had to park the car and walk over to the school.

"Are we happy?" says Aaron. "We're not unhappy, but we're not really dwelling on the promises of 10/15 years ago to be honest - we're kind of over that. We've had many nights having wine and berating what's gone on but in reality, it's nice. We only want to move because we want to upgrade our house. I always say be careful what you wish for because it's reasonably quiet, the house is comfortable to live in, the school's good, but some of the promises were rubbish.

"It could be a lot worse."

Just down the road, neighbour Erhi Akpojaro agrees.

"I've lived here five years," she says. "It's a beautiful estate, with really nice walkways, and it's nice walking around the lake."

She too was attracted by the affordability of the homes, in comparison to London, but there have been some issues.

“The security don't do anything,” she said. “They do have security guards that go around the area, but in terms of stopping crime or telling people to go away, they don't do that.

"Sometimes we do get some young people that are disturbing the peace and they won't tell them to go away."

Again Erhi says traffic on roads outside of the estate is an ongoing problem, although marginally better than before the Covid pandemic.

Meanwhile though, the rest of the estate remains largely quiet. Over at the Fastrack bus route, a silver statue of a running man stands both frozen and in perpetual motion, as an empty bus drives past the empty bus stop.

Down the road by the management centre, a sign highlights another of The Bridge's attractions: The Mermaid sculpture made by artist William Jordan in 2011, but it can't be seen, even from the vantage point of a nearby bench – the view of the lake obscured by sprawling bushes.

Around the corner, a slight gap in the undergrowth offers a tantalising glimpse of the impressive feature – said to be 30 feet high and 42 feet wide – but no more.

Over at the Nucleus business hub, a full car park shows there's plenty of people at work today, and there's activity at the nearby motor tech company SEM.

On the far side of the estate a young family is enjoying the play park, and the zip wire looks like it could be fun - although the scene is arguably marred by the overhead pylons and power-lines, as well as the sewage works on the far side of the field.

Bridge ward councillor Clement Quaqumey agrees life at The Bridge has its pros and cons.

"If you ask me The Bridge is a lovely place to live except that there's a lot of congestion when there's a problem with the tunnel," he says. "There are lots of lorries connected with the warehouses that cause a bit of a problem but that is something we have to live with.

"Then there was an issue when there used to be a free bus pass."

And he doesn't mince his words in recalling how the bus pass issue unfolded.

"We were conned", he says. "We were told there would be a free bus pass, and no one said it was going to end at some point. Everyone who bought a house got a free bus pass."

And he doesn't have too many kind words about the management company, adding: "It's true they don't do much, and sometimes the whole place is overgrown, but it's an argument that's difficult to win. They always say we've done this and that.

"I email them if things have not been done, and it often takes some time for them to do it.

"They take the money but they don't do anything - they don't do what they're meant to do. They do a little bit and keep the money.

"For this year the budget is £800,000 and the budget for security is £271,000, but security is just people walking around doing nothing. If something is happening in your house you can't call them. If your car is stolen and you want to review the cameras, they say no you can't do that.

"I've written to say 'what is the use of these guys? It's a waste of money.'

"Someone is making something out of it until we find a way to stop it."

Meanwhile Prologis UK - the developers behind the whole project say they are proud of the legacy at The Bridge - although a statement from the Prologis UK’s regional head, Paul Weston, stressed they were no longer involved in running the estate.

He said: “Whilst Prologis UK is no longer a development partner at The Bridge, we are proud of our 20 year contribution to creating a vibrant residential and business community on former brownfield land in and around the old Joyce Green Hospital site.

“When we became a joint venture partner with Dartford council in 2003, we invested £70m in new infrastructure, including cleaning up the site, diverting power lines, putting in new roads and bridges along with the Fastrack route B (connecting The Bridge to rail stations in the town centre and at Greenhithe), a figure which naturally increased over the years as development progressed.

“At the time, The Bridge was considered a pioneering project designed to create a thriving community where people, business and wildlife could call home. In this regard the project can only be considered a success."

Mr Weston said a huge emphasis had been placed on sustainability in the project, by cutting carbon emissions, reducing waste & conserving water, and noted The Bridge community has access to over 80 acres of greenways and blueways centred around the north and south lakes.

He added: "The lakes support a number of activities including an eponymous triathlon which celebrated its 14th year in June 2023.

“A vast array of facilities were integrated into The Bridge which continue to thrive today – including, but in no way limited to, The Nucleus, an innovation centre which has incubated a wide range of business startups over the past 15 years, Leigh UTC which supports STEM learning and a Learning and Community Hub which includes a flourishing primary school.

“Today, The Bridge is a flourishing community of 1,500 homes and around 1.5 m sq. ft. of commercial space where all residents can enjoy a safe, well-maintained neighbourhood within easy reach of their community amenities.”

As for designer Wayne Hemingway himself, a statement on his website, hemingwaydesign.co.uk, seems to echo the mixed feelings of many residents on how things have panned out.

It states: “We are very proud of the vision behind The Bridge, Dartford but can’t vouch for how it is being built out because, as with so many developments, the developer didn’t keep on the designers behind the good thinking to police the build out. We pop back occasionally though, and it does seem like the majority of the principles are being upheld!”

“Congratulations and a huge thank you for your collaborative design vision in the regeneration of the Thames Gateway in Dartford where a derelict wasteland is now a thriving sustainable Community. ‘The Bridge’ development continues to grow and is always a joy to visit for inspiration.”

The Bridge Estate Management Company declined to comment.