Ashford Borough Council have announced the details of the ballot included in their Community Governance Review urban area consultation.
Of 9,220 eligible voters in South Ashford, 2,409 responded to the ballot, 2,398 were valid votes, 906 voted yes and 1,492 voted no.
The Council’s press release announcing the vote says:
“As stated in the original literature sent to residents in the relevant areas, the results of the ballot (for and against) are non-binding on the council and are one part of the consultation process. However, the result will inform the decision of council members in December.
When taking that final decision on whether to recommend the creation of community councils, councillors will take into account a number of important factors, including:
- The turnout of the ballot
- The margin of the result
- The responses received to the wider consultation that gave residents the opportunity to comment in greater detail on the proposals
All of these matters will be taken into account and considered carefully by Councillors before a final decision is made.”