---
title: "River Darent Channel, River Edge and Public Realm Improvements Feasibility Study"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Dartford Borough Council"
published: "2026-09-15"
---

# River Darent Channel, River Edge and Public Realm Improvements Feasibility Study

Buyer: Dartford Borough Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1

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## Summary

Dartford Borough Council commissioned a building consultancy feasibility study for improvements to a key stretch of the River Darent in Dartford, including Bridge House Gardens, St Saviour’s Walk and the corridor between Hanau Bridge and Mill Pond Road. The study covers the river channel, river edge and adjoining public realm. Its purpose is to develop an exemplar riverside scheme that improves connections between the river, Dartford town centre and local communities, building on the Lower Darent Riverside Strategy. The work concerns a rare chalk stream and its surrounding urban environment, so it is relevant to consultants combining river, landscape, public realm, infrastructure and town-centre regeneration expertise. Delivery is in the South East of England.

The procurement is complete and was awarded on 15 September 2026 to Buro Happold Limited. The awarded contract value is £76,735 including the stated currency of GBP. The contract runs from 21 September 2026 to 20 January 2027. Dartford Borough Council used a selective procedure as a call-off from a framework agreement. The tender submission deadline was 27 August 2026 at 12:00. This was a services procurement for building consultancy, evaluated through the framework call-off process. The selected supplier is Buro Happold Limited. The opportunity was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the procurement covers a single requirement rather than separately awarded lots.

For suppliers that did not win this award, the procurement demonstrates demand from Dartford Borough Council for specialist feasibility work linking river restoration, public realm improvement and town-centre regeneration. A credible future competitor would need to assess a complex urban river corridor while understanding the environmental characteristics of a chalk stream and the practical needs of adjoining parks, paths, streets and community connections. Relevant capability would include developing deliverable riverside concepts, coordinating landscape, engineering, environmental and planning inputs, and translating an existing strategic vision into an implementable scheme. Experience of working with local authorities and communities on public-realm or regeneration projects would strengthen a bid. The council’s use of a framework call-off also makes framework access and disciplined call-off responses commercially relevant.

## Notice

Dartford Borough Council has commissioned a feasibility study for a key stretch of the River Darent, one of the UK's rare chalk streams, encompassing Bridge House Gardens, St Saviour's Walk, and the corridor between Hanau Bridge and Mill Pond Road. Building on the Lower Darent Riverside Strategy, the project aims to deliver an exemplar riverside scheme that strengthens connections between the river, the town centre, and local communities.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/07bc358e-b759-48b8-8753-2d63ecd241c6 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Selective |
| Procurement method details | Call-off from a framework agreement |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 15 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 15 Sep 2026 |
| Contract period | 21 Sep 2026 - 20 Jan 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £76,735 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £76,735 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Dartford Borough Council |
| Locality | DARTFORD |
| Postcode area | Dartford |
| Postcode | DA1 1DR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent |
| ITL 3 | TLJ43 Kent Thames Gateway |
| Local authority | Dartford |
| Electoral ward | Town |
| Westminster constituency | Dartford |
| Delivery location | TLJ South East (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Buro Happold Ltd |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71315200 - Building consultancy services

## Release History

- 15 Sep 2026 at 11:20 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/07bc358e-b759-48b8-8753-2d63ecd241c6

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/07bc358e-b759-48b8-8753-2d63ecd241c6
  15th September 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-c45051ef-64f7-4acc-b809-709e00b989b1.json.