the website of South Ashford Community Forum
You must be registered to vote by 18th April to vote for the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent.
Polling cards have been sent to voters in Ashford for the Police and Crime Commissioner Election. If you have not received yours, and think you have registered to vote contact Electoral Services at Ashford Borough Council.
If you have not registered Register Now: (more…)
South Ashford Community Forum have provisionally booked speakers for their next three meetings:
and although a speaker is yet to be selected the final meeting will include:
All meetings are held at South Ashford Baptist Church, Brookfield Road, TN23 4EY.
To ensure you receive notices and updates from us sign up for SACF e-mails at bit.ly/sacfsignup
(read our Privacy Policy southashford.org.uk/index.php/website/cookie-policy/).
Meeting details will be included on our Calendar bit.ly/sacfcal
Minutes of and Agendas for Meetings will be available from the Minutes and Agendas page bit.ly/sashfordma
Polling cards have been sent to voters in Ashford for the Police and Crime Commissioner Election. If you have not received yours, and think you have registered to vote contact Electoral Services at Ashford Borough Council:
If you have not registered Register Now: (more…)
A House of Lords Committeee have released a report titled Building Better PlacesCivic Voice have welcomed the report in a press release, emphasising the recommendations for maintaining and improving local control and community engagement in the planning process, and preservation of the historic environment:
The House of Lords Committeee on National Policy for the Built Environment have released a Report of Session 2015-16 titled Building Better Places last week. The report (which is available here) covered areas such as the recent trends in the built environment, creating better places through design, quality and standards, building for the long-term, delivering more housing and local leadership, delivery and skills. Members of the committee included Baroness Andrews, who works with Civic Voice to raise our issues in the House of Lords. (more…)
The following letter has been sent to all residents in the unparished area of South Ashford:
Dear Resident
Early in December of last year, Ashford Borough Council completed a review of how local communities in Ashford are represented and governed. If you are a registered voter living in South Ashford you would have had the opportunity to vote in the ballot on whether or not you wanted a Community Council for South Ashford. Voters in the other unparished areas of Ashford also voted on whether they wanted a Community Council in their areas. In South Ashford, of 9,220 voters, 906 voted for a Community Council and 1,492 voted against. Although the Council stated that the results of the ballot were non-binding they have decided not to create a Community Council for South Ashford.
For sixteen years South Ashford Community Forum has been representing the views of people living and working in the unparished area of South Ashford and helping to communicate those views to Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council and other statutory organisations. Following the decision of the Council we will continue to provide that representation and will be redoubling our efforts to ensure that we are representative of as many of those who live and work in South Ashford as possible. To do this we need to hear your views and invite you to our next meeting. (more…)
It has been reported that resolution has been reached on Britain’s relationship with the European Union, but will you your opinion count when the referendum is held later this year?
Register to vote to have your say https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
This May elections will take place for Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner.If you are not registered to vote you will not be able to take part in these ballots.
A review of Ashford’s electoral boundaries is due to take place this year.
Electoral ward sizes are based on the number of voters in the wards. The ward sizes can affect many issues dealt with by Ashford Borough Council.
If you are not registered to vote you won’t be counted.
Many organisations rely on your being on the Electoral Register as evidence of your identity.
Following a ‘lively’ debate, Ashford Borough Council have this evening (10th December), as expected, decided not to create a Community Council in South Ashford, Central Ashford or North Willesborough., they did however, vote to create Community Councils in Kennington and South Willesborough and Newtown.
South Ashford Community Forum will continue to to represent the views of people living and working in South Ashford and to help communicate those views to Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council and other statutory organisations.
Even though we are aware that, as stated in the original literature sent to residents, the results of the ballot (for and against) are non-binding on the Council and are one part of the consultation process, we are disappointed with the voting, .
Whilst we appreciate that the Borough Council were trying to maintain neutrality, they could have been more informative regarding the precept. Many people saw the top figure quoted of £88 pa and assumed that the Community Council precepts could be similar. The Council’s literature didn’t indicate why Tenterden’s precept is so large and hence not likely to be representative of the urban areas. This fuelled ill informed statements made against the creation of Community Councils. The situation was not helped by the minimal coverage in the local press, despite this potentially being the biggest change in local governance, in the Borough, since 1974.
If the Borough Council do not create a Community Council for South Ashford, South Ashford Community Forum will continue do its best to represent the views of the residents and will seek increased support from the Borough Council to enable us to do this more effectively.
South Ashford Community Forum 9th November 2015
Kentish Express 12 November 2015
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: (more…)