Dartford is notoriously known as a quiet peaceful town, where nothing big happens. It has been and stayed that way for all of my 14 years of life, and most likely much longer. However, in the past year, some huge changes are being made, changes that will affect the small town quite a bit.

In 2022, a £3.5 billion Paramount theme park will be built in Dartford. It is thought that there will be 400,000 visitors each day. This could immensely impact Dartford, as the small town will finally be known for something other than the Dartford Crossing.

So what will change? Out of a multitude of answers, the most frustrating of all is the traffic that will surely clog up our motorways and highways. Soon, driving out of Dartford will be near impossible in the school holidays, causing a lot of trouble for those who work far away. However, it will mean that exhausted parents won’t have to drive for hours to please their children’s request for a day at a theme park. Finally, the children of Dartford will stop loitering around old parks and corner shops, and actually enjoy themselves. Also, by the time the Paramount theme park opens, the teenagers of today will be young adults, saving them from the dreary supermarket job, and letting them experience something magical.

Recently, it has been announced that the KFC in Dartford High Street will be replaced by a Taco Bell. This would be the 18th Taco Bell in England, compared to the 6000+ of America. But why Dartford? A study showed that Dartford has the second largest percentage of overweight older primary school children, which could be one reason why Taco Bell would choose to place a store here. 

Again, the introduction of Taco Bell will make some significant changes. The KFC which it will replace has moved to the Priory Centre and has expanded. This will create many new jobs for Dartford citizens when added to the new Taco Bell jobs. Also, it will finally give teenagers a chance to have everyday access to the food they have heard about from Americans, and judge for themselves how good it is.

Overall, it is clear that finally, Dartford is making some changes to modernise and increase attraction to our drab town.