Council scorecard
Dartford Borough Council
- Type
- borough
- Population
- ~116k
- Council website
- www.dartford.gov.uk
Scorecard
Methodology published 2026-05-18. Pending cells reflect data collection in progress, not methodology uncertainty — they will populate as the underlying data is gathered.
Refuse collection
Missed bin reports, recycling rates, complaint resolution time
Partial Metric 1 score reflecting recycling rate (component 2 of 4, 30% weight) only; the three other components (missed-bin reports per 100k, complaint resolution time, service consistency) remain pending data ingest. Dartford 2023-24 recycling rate ~25% — the LOWEST in Kent, less than half of best-performing TWBC. Non-recyclable waste 604kg per household — the HIGHEST in Kent (Kent average ~450kg). Worst-performing district on this single component.
as of 2024 · source
Complaints handling
Volume, response times, LGSCO upheld findings
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
FOI response
Average response time, refusal/exemption rate, compliance with 20-day statutory deadline
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Financial health & budget discipline
Revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgment, council tax positioning + trajectory vs national
Partial Metric 4 score reflecting council tax positioning (component 5 of 6) only; the five other components (revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgement, multi-year tax trajectory) remain pending data ingest. Dartford BC under long-running Conservative administration historically maintains a low district precept; specific 2026-27 figure to be added at next refresh.
as of 2026 · source
Transparency
Open data publication, councillor expenses, contract register, committee paper publication
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Planning
Application approval ratios, appeal-overturn rate, determination time vs statutory targets
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Education & children's services
SEND/EHCP statutory processing, SEND tribunal LA-loss rate, children's services Ofsted rating, school transport delivery (county + unitary only)
Education and children's services are not a district/borough function. The county council (or, for Medway, the unitary authority) holds this remit.
Safeguarding & LADO
LADO referral handling, multi-agency safeguarding (MASH) timeliness, Section 47 enquiry compliance, independent safeguarding audit findings (county + unitary only)
Safeguarding is the statutory function of the county council or unitary authority via the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) and multi-agency safeguarding hub.
Manifesto delivery (Trust)
KLN tracks what the controlling party promised at the most recent election vs what was actually delivered. KEPT/PARTIAL/BROKEN/PENDING/OUT_OF_SCOPE categorisation.
Trust score: 1 judged pledges + 3 categorised public issues, averaged.
as of 2026-05-21
Top public issues for Dartford residents
This is editorial assessment, not a metric score. Each issue carries an alignment tag — ALIGNED (council in step with residents), MIXED (some action falls short), COUNTERACTING (council against residents on this), or SILENT (no clear position). KLN-curated. Council positions added verbatim where provided. Right-of-reply opens with initial publication.
- 🟡Mixed
Lower Thames Crossing mitigation
The Lower Thames Crossing affects Dartford residents directly — traffic disruption, air quality, property impact, construction phase.
Council position
DBC has filed statutory consultation responses raising mitigation concerns. LTC decision rests with National Highways + DfT; DBC's role is lobbying + consultation.
KLN assessment
Consultation responses filed — that is action of a limited kind. Substantive mitigation outcomes depend on National Highways + DfT, not DBC. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED — DBC is doing what it can but available levers are narrow.
- 🟡Mixed
Dartford town centre regeneration
Residents expect visible town-centre regeneration delivery (Lowfield Street, station area, retail mix).
Council position
Conservative administration has long-running regeneration programme with multiple scheme strands.
KLN assessment
Regeneration schemes in train (Lowfield Street etc.) — that is action. Pace + visible outcome against retail vacancy + footfall data is the test. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED until completion benchmarks are met.
- 🟡Mixed
Housing affordability + cost of living
Dartford's proximity to London + Crossrail-adjacent transport links push prices up. Residents face affordability pressure.
Council position
Standard housing delivery via Local Plan + affordable housing planning conditions.
KLN assessment
Mixed: market forces dominate; council's housing delivery is one lever among many. Residents' affordability concerns largely unaddressed by council action alone.
How this scorecard works
Each metric is scored 0-100 and banded A through F. We do NOT aggregate to a single overall ranking — combining unrelated performance areas would mislead. See the methodology page for full details, thresholds, and data sources.
Spot an error or have data we should add for Dartford? editor@kentlocalnews.co.uk.