Environment

Victoria Park Community Consultation Event

Victoria Park Community Consultation Event

Saturday 21st April

Ashford Borough Council have secured initial funding to develop a £3.7m restoration and improvement project for Victoria Park and Watercress Fields, thanks to support from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund. The Council are working with a number of specialists who will help us to undertake historic research about the park, explore ideas for activities, events, schools resources and training, as well as developing designs for restoration and improvement works.

Come along to Victoria Park, meet the project team, find out what’s been happening and give them your views

Halstow Way redevelopment consultation

View from open space

Did you attend the event yesterday evening, 21st Feb?

South Ashford Community Forum would like to know your views.

  • Do you live in the immediate vicinity of the Noakes Meadow open space? Did you receive a notice of the event?
  • Affordable housing is desperately needed in Ashford and the Council have used some land they own to produce excellent small developments.
  • The land on which these flats are to be built is designated open space. the Council are proposing that S106 money from this development and others is used to improve the remainder of the space, to compensate for the reduction in area. Is this an appropriate use of open space.
  • The plans allow for 28 car parking spaces to comply with the requirement in the draft local plan but data indicates that car ownership in flats in Ashford is 1 car per 2 dwellings. Should this much space be used for parking?
  • Is the location appropriate for 3 storey development about 12m to to ridge?
  • The proposals show the site fenced. Does it need to be, or is this creating a ‘gated community’.
  • What will the impact be on the existing residents of Halstow Way?

(more…)

Victoria Park and Watercress Fields

Victoria Park and Watercress Fields

Ashford Borough Council

Parks for People: Explore Victoria Park and Watercress Fields

Have you discovered Ashford’s largest and most central park yet?

There’s something for everyone at Victoria Park and Watercress Fields; including a wealth of history, exciting play spaces, interesting ecology, and quiet spaces to relax.

Download a plan of Victoria Parks and Watercress Fields.

The park has a pivotal role to play in connecting residents with the town’s history, the local area and the built, cultural and natural heritage of the site. Not only that, but it also a great space to explore the environment and access the great outdoors.

Funding

Now Ashford Borough Council (ABC) are looking to make the park an even better place to visit, with thanks to support from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund. ABC have secured initial funding to develop a £3.7m restoration and improvement project.

Plans for Victoria Park

The future aims include Green Flag status for the park, building upon the opportunities for community engagement and participation, promoting outdoor activities, and enabling volunteers to gain new skills.

How you can help

ABC looking to form an active Friends Group for joined-up community participation and to enable local residents to shape the future of the area.

Please tell us what you think by completing a short online survey
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Ashford-Victoria_Park.

To help ABC develop the plans, we’d love to hear what you think about the park and what changes you would like to see.

Sign up to the newsletter

If you would like to receive a regular newsletter (via the ABC website) that will provide an update of news, events and project progress, please provide your email address, and we will be in touch.

 

Get in touch

If you would like to get in touch, or to find out more about the project,
please email the team. victoriapark@ashford.gov.uk

Minerals and Waste Plan Consultation

Kent County CouncilEarly Partial Review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 and
Mineral Sites Plan – Options Consultation

Kent County Council

Opens: 19 Dec 2017
Closes: 27 Mar 2018

The Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (KMWLP or the Plan) sets out the minerals supply and waste management capacity provision for Kent up until the year 2031. Following the adoption of the KMWLP in July 2016, further assessments have been undertaken which suggest that the level of waste management capacity required to maintain net self-sufficiency differs from that which was anticipated to be needed when the KMWLP was prepared. In order to ensure that Kent benefits from an up-to-date strategy for waste management capacity the County Council is seeking to undertake an early partial review of the KMWLP to amend several of the policies relating to waste management.

Furthermore, the County Council also seeks to improve the clarity of the policies relating to minerals and waste safeguarding; this should improve their effectiveness when used in practice. This is a part of the Early Partial Review of the Plan at this time.

Parallel to the early Partial Review Consultation referred to above the County Council is holding a public consultation on the Option Sites for the Minerals Sites Plan. This is a Regulation 18 consultation to gather the views of the general community, groups, organisations, mineral operators, other Kent authorities (at the Parish and Borough/District levels) and individuals on what the County Council considers to be potential mineral sites required to supply a steady and adequate quantity of mineral resources to meet the objectives of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan (KMWLP) 2013-30.

Additional supporting evidence documents and Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Reports have been published to support the consultation. Since the start of the consultation the evidence base been updated as follows:

Information concerning the site areas of the following Minerals Site Options:

  • West Malling Sandpit, Ryarsh
  • Chapel Farm, Lenham
  • Lydd Quarry Extensions, Lydd

Assessment of the suitability of mineral site options with respect to the Green Belt.

  • A separate evidence addendum has been prepared that summarises the updates and this can be found on the above website.

To engage in the above consultations, please click here.

The period for the  consultations is 19th December 2017 to 27th March 2018.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Minerals and Waste Planning Policy team.

Email:  mwlp@kent.gov.uk

Phone:  03000 413328

Consultation Summary

Name The Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30
Description Kent County Council is seeking to undertake an early partial review of the KMWLP to amend several of the policies relating to waste management.
Dates From 19 Dec 2017 at 00:00 to 27 Mar 2018 at 23:59.
Status Open
Consulting Organisation Type Kent County Council
Consulting Organisation Name Kent County Council
District / Borough areas affected by the consultation Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells
Consultation Topic General interest, Environment and countryside, Planning and planning applications, Recycling, rubbish and waste management
Consultation Methods Online survey / questionnaire / forms
Contact Details Email:  mwlp@kent.gov.uk

Phone:  03000 413328

A28 scheme wood recycling

The Public Liaison Officer for the A28 Chart Road widening scheme is collating a list of interested parties that can utilise some of the wood available when work is started on the site clearance of 39 trees. To date over 40 organisations and individuals have expressed an interest in recycling the wood. The uses they have specified are very diverse and include a variety of woodland, artistic and construction projects, Tree species include oak, ash, sycamore horse chestnut, lime, elm and hawthorn some of which are ideal for sculpture and turning projects.

People must be able to collect the wood from a storage area being organised in Ashford during a specified one week window – probably towards the end of February or early March. As this forms part of community project for Ashford  KCC would like to track what happens to the wood.  So they are asking that anyone proposing to utilise any of the wood stays in touch and hopefully send some pictures of what has been made. As part of this project KCC are also hoping to raise money for a worthy local cause and would ask that if wood is taken a small donation is made to this cause. Details of the chosen charity will be confirmed at a later date.

ABC: Report it

Let's work together to make the borough a better placeAshford Borough Council has improved its online reporting system, making it easier for residents to report issues such as:

  • Flytipping
  • Littering
  • Dog fouling
  • Vandalism
  • Anti-social behaviour
  • Planning enforcement

The new system replaces some online forms and allows residents to report incidents and then track their progress via a unique reference number.

www.ashford.gov.uk/report

Christmas recycling & refuse collections 2017/18

During the festive period, your recycling and refuse collections may take place on different days. Check our calendar below – and read on for tips on how to recycle more this Christmas!

Week Normal collection day Revised collection day
Recycling Mon 25 Dec Wed 27 Dec
Tues 26 Dec Thurs 28 Dec
Wed 27 Dec Fri 29 Dec
Thurs 28 Dec Sat 30 Dec
Fri 29 Dec Tues 2 Jan
Refuse Mon 1 Jan Wed 3 Jan
Tue 2 Jan Thurs 4 Jan
Wed 3 Jan Fri 5 Jan
Thurs 4 Jan Sat 6 Jan
Fri 5 Jan Mon 8 Jan
Recycling Mon 8 Jan Tues 9 Jan
Tues 9 Jan Wed 10 Jan
Wed 10 Jan Thurs 11 Jan
Thurs 11 Jan Fri 12 Jan
Fri 12 Jan Sat 13 Jan

 

Collections will resume normal service on Monday 15 January 2018.

All refuse and recycling should be out for collection by 6am over  Christmas and New Year. Please note collections may take place up to one day later than shown.

There will be NO garden or bulk collections for two weeks; week commencing 25/12/17 and week commencing 01/01/18. Check when your garden waste will be collected over the festive period:

Recycling at Christmas and New Year!

Not sure which bin festive items go into? Check our handy guide below:

Green recycling bin

  • Christmas cards
  • Tin foil and foil serving trays
  • Champagne, wine, beer and alcohol bottles/cans
  • Paper wrapping paper
  • Christmas crackers
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Soft drink containers
  • Sweet/biscuit tins

Grey refuse bin

  • Tinsel
  • Polystyrene
  • Broken decorations
  • Foil wrapping paper
  • Bubble wrap, plastic packaging
  • Champagne and wine corks

Food caddy*

  • Leftovers
  • Turkey carcass

*Visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for handy recipes for those festive leftovers!

Don’t forget!

Put those broken Christmas lights or any electrical decorations or items in a plastic carrier bag on top of your refuse bin, and we will take them away!

Ashford’s Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Brunswick Road, Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate wil be open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Christmas tree recycling

Support Pilgrims Hospices by signing up to their Tree Recycling fundraising campaign?

Their service will cover the whole borough on 13 and 14 January, when residents can have their tree collected in return for a donation of their choice. What better way to support your local hospice this festive season!

To register, visit www.pilgrimshospices.org/treecycling or call 01233 504111.

Garden recycling and bulky item collections

Please note, as stated on your garden recycling collection calendars there will be NO garden waste or bulky item collections over the festive period; week commencing 25 December 2017 and 1 January 2018.

These collections will resume on Monday 8 January 2018.

Clinical collections

During the festive period, your clinical collections will take place on different days.

Please refer to the calendar.

Normal collection Revise collection
Mon 25 Dec Wed 27 Dec
Mon 1 Jan Wed 3 Jan
Mon 8 Jan Tues 9 Jan

 

Ashford Borough Council
www.ashford.gov.uk/the-environment/recycling-and-refuse-service/christmas-collection-dates-201718/

SACF respond to KE Parkrun article

South Ashford Community Forum (SACF) have responded to an article regarding ParkRun in the Kentish Express on 28 September 2017. The article results from a discussion at the SACF June Meeting, the minutes of which can be viewed here (opens in Google online reader)

SACF recognise that ParkRun is the type of activity for which public parks, including Victoria Park, are suited. We do, however, believe that all users of Victoria Park should respect other users. However, it appears that some ParkRun participants are not giving other users that respect. This is illustrated by the reports we have received from some users and by the comments of some ParkRun supporters on the article on the Kent Online Facebook page and Kent Online website that imply that other Park users should not use the Park while ParkRun is in progress.

It may not be possible for more than 200 runners to use the main foot/cycle paths through the Park at a time when many other people are using them as part of their regular journey from South Ashford and Singleton into the Town Centre without causing some difficulties for both groups.

As a result of Ashford Borough Council’s successful bid for funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we are looking forward to the formation of a community group that will provide a practical contribution to the maintenance of the Park, and act as a forum for discussions on how the Park can be developed and used by all parties. We hope that all user groups, including ParkRun, will actively participate in that forum helping to promote understanding between users and make the Park a safer and more enjoyable place for everyone.

Seek professional advice around pest control

Kent Fire and Rescue LogoKent Fire and Rescue Service was called to a family home in Bowens Field, Ashford where one of the occupants had tried to remove a wasps nest by burning it. The wasp nest was in ivy growing close to the house – however the burning got out of control and set fire to the ivy before spreading to the roof of the property. KFRS was called and when crews arrived they found all occupants of the property safely outside. They used a hose reel jet to extinguish the small fire and checked for hot spots with a thermal imaging camera. The fire caused a small amount of damage to the ivy growth and the soffit and facia of the roof of the property. The cause was accidental. There were no reported injuries.

Firefighters have urged property owners to always seek professional advice around pest control and to never attempt to burn anything or use naked flames close to their property.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service 23 September 2017
www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/incidents/?entryid2=13848

Ashford Borough Council advice regarding pest control can be found on their website at www.ashford.gov.uk/the-environment/pest-control/

KCC Flood Strategy Consultation

Kent County CouncilLocal Flood Risk Management Strategy 2017-2023

Kent County Council

Opens: 16 Aug 2017
Closes: 8 Oct 2017 at 23:59

Introduction

Kent County Council (KCC) is the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Kent.  As the LLFA, we must produce a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (local strategy) that sets out how local flood risks will be managed in the county by the authorities involved.

Have Your Say

We would like your views on the draft strategy in order to help us produce the final version of the strategy by December 2017.

Please let us know your thoughts by completing the online questionnaire (via the ‘Respond to this Consultation’ section).

We have published a copy of our Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) for you to read and make comments on via the consultation questionnaire.

Flood and Water Management Asset Register survey

We thought you might also like to now that we are developing a new digital channel to provide information to the public about flooding and flood risk in the county. We would like to hear your views on how you access information about flooding and flood risk management and what you would like to see in an online flood risk management resource.

Take part in the survey.

Alternative Formats and Hard Copies

To request hard copies of any of the consultation documents, or for any other formats, please email: alternativeformats@kent.gov.uk or call: 03000 421553 (text relay service number: 18001 03000 421553). This number goes to an answering machine, which is monitored during office hours.

Consultation Documents

Respond to this Consultation

Consultation Links

Consultation Summary

Name Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2017-2023
Description Kent County Council (KCC) is the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Kent and we are seeking your views on our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. It sets out how local flood risks will be managed in the county by the authorities involved.
Dates From 16 Aug 2017 at 12:00 to 8 Oct 2017 at 23:59.
Status Open
Consulting Organisation Type Kent County Council
Consulting Organisation Name Kent County Council
District / Borough areas affected by the consultation Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells
Consultation Topic General interest, Environment and countryside
Consultation Methods Online survey / questionnaire / forms
Contact Details Flood@kent.gov.uk