Kent County Council

Council services over Christmas

17 December 2024 0 Comments

Our comprehensive guide to Council services over the Christmas period

Ashford Borough Council

Ashford Borough Council

Ashford Borough Council services at International House

If you need to contact ABC during the festive period, opening hours during Christmas and New Year are as detailed below. The main switchboard number to call us on is 01233 331111.

DateOpening hours
(for visits in-person)		Opening hours
(for phone lines)
Monday 23 December9.00am to 4.00pm8.30am to 4.00pm
Tuesday 24 December9.00am to 2.00pm8.30am to 4.00pm
Wednesday 25 DecemberClosedClosed
Thursday 26 DecemberClosedClosed
Friday 27 December ClosedClosed
Monday 30 DecemberClosed8.30am to 4.00pm
Tuesday 31 DecemberClosed8.30am to 4.00pm
Wednesday 1 JanuaryClosedClosed
Thursday 2 January9.00am to 4.00pm8.30am to 4.00pm
Friday 3 January9.00am to 4.00pm8.30am to 4.00pm

Waste collections

Please ensure your bin is presented prior to 6am.

Normal Collection DayRevised Collection Day
Monday 23 DecemberMonday 23 December
Tuesday 24 December Tuesday 24 December
Wednesday 25 December Friday 27 December
Thursday 26 DecemberSaturday 28 December
Friday 27 DecemberMonday 30 December
Monday 30 DecemberTuesday 31 December
Tuesday 31 DecemberThursday 2 January
Wednesday 1 JanuaryFriday 3 January
Thursday 2 JanuarySaturday 4 January
Friday 3 JanuaryMonday 6 January 
Monday 6 JanuaryTuesday 7 January
Tuesday 7 JanuaryWednesday 8 January
Wednesday 8 January Thursday 9 January
Thursday 9 January Friday 10 January 
Friday 10 JanuarySaturday 11 January

Normal recycling, refuse and food waste service resumes Monday 13 January.

You can also find all this information on the ABC festive waste collections webpage including recycling tips.

Garden waste collections

Normal collection dayRevised collection day 
Monday 23 DecemberMonday 23 December
Tuesday 24 DecemberTuesday 24 December
Wednesday 25 DecemberFriday 27 December
Thursday 26 DecemberSaturday 28 December
Friday 27 DecemberMonday 30 December

Garden waste collections will also be suspended for the weeks commencing Monday 30 December and Monday 6 January and will resume on your normal day of collection from Monday 13 January. 

Missed bin collections 

Missed bin collections can continue to be reported via the usual Report It channel.

Please note that any missed bins need to be reported the day after your collection was due, but no later than 48 working hours thereafter.

Once you have reported your missed collection, please leave your bin outside at the usual point of collection.

Kent County Council

Kent County Council

Report a concern

Out of hours emergencies

If there is an emergency, call 03000 41 91 91.

Contact Centre staff are available to take emergency calls only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 27 December and New Year’s Day. If your enquiry is not urgent you will be able to contact KCCfrom 9am on Monday 30 December and Tuesday 31 December. It returns to our normal hours from 2 January.

Kent Support and Assistance Service is closed from 3pm on 24 December until 9am on 28 December. They are also unavailable on New Year’s Day and will reopen on 2 January. If you need urgent assistance during this time, contact the Social Services line on 03000 41 91 91.

Ashford Gateway Plus and Library

DateHours
Monday 23 December9am – 5pm
Tuesday 24 DecemberClosed
Wednesday 25 DecemberClosed
Thursday 26 DecemberClosed
Friday 27 December9am – 5pm
Saturday 28 December9am – 3pm
Monday 30 December9am – 5pm
Tuesday 31 December9am – 4pm
Wednesday 1 JanuaryClosed
Thursday 2 January10am – 6pm
Friday 3 January9am – 5pm
Saturday 4 January9am – 3pm

Ashford Household Waste and Recycling Centre

Before visiting you must book a slot, entry without booking is not permitted.

Book a slot

DateHours
Sunday 22 December9am – 4pm
Monday 23 December8am – 4:30pm
Tuesday 24 December8am – 3pm
Wednesday 25 DecemberClosed
Thursday 26 DecemberClosed
Friday 27 December8am – 4:30pm
Saturday 28 December8am – 4:30pm
Sunday 29 December9am – 4pm
Monday 30 December8am – 4:30pm
Tuesday 31 December8am – 3pm
Wednesday 1 JanuaryClosed
Thursday 2 January8am – 4:30pm
Friday 3 January8am – 4:30pm
Saturday 4 January8am – 4:30pm
Sunday 5 January9am – 4pm

Services provided

See our Government Services guide to see what services each council provides.

News, Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council

SEND Information Roadshow

29 June 2024 0 Comments

Come along, be informed, have a chat and maybe meet other parents and carers of SEND children!

Are you a parent and/or carer of a child or young person who has special educational needs and/or disabilities or you believe may require additional help? Are you looking for services in your area that can offer extra support for your child as they go through their education journey? Then Ashford Family Hubs would like to invite you to our SEND Information, advice and guidance event for Ashford.

There will be a short presentation at the start to introduce the services in attendance, followed by your opportunity to visit their stalls and find out how they can help.

Refreshments will be available and some toys can be provided in case you need to bring little ones.

16th July 2024
10 am -12 noon or
1 pm – 3 pm

Ashford North Family Hub
Mabledon Avenue
Ashford
TN24 8BJ

Book Now!!! Email:

Education, Children, Disability, Health, Kent County Council, News

Kent Family Hubs Consultation

19 July 2023 0 Comments

Consultation opens: 19 July 2023
Consultation closes: 13 September 2023

Kent County Council (KCC) has launched an eight-week Family Hub services consultation which sets out proposals on the future of young peoples’ services. 

Family Hubs brings together and integrates support services for children, young people and families, so that they are easier for people to access. By being focused on building better, strong relationships with families, we can work with multi-agency services, reducing the need for families to tell us their stories more than once and allow them to access help and support how they chose to i.e., from a physical building, outreach in the community or online/virtual. The consultation sets out the range of services that would be available under the Family Hub model, and the different ways they could be delivered. 

KCC was one of 75 local authorities successfully awarded Department for Education (DfE) funding to design and implement a three-year Family Hub model in Kent, following the September 2020 review by Dame Andrea Leadsom MP focusing on improving outcomes for babies and the first 1,001 days of a child’s life.   

The findings of that review enabled the DfE and Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to develop a framework to support successful and ambitious local authorities to work with health partners to develop a Start for Life concept and Family Hub model. 

Kent has been awarded Trailblazer status; one of only 14 authorities awarded the honour of becoming a national leader for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.   

the DfE Family Hub model fits perfectly into the Framing Kent’s Future strategic vison for children, young people, and families, as well as supporting the wider national and community challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic.  

How to get involved

Read the Consultation Document or

just read the summary document which gives an overview of the proposals .

KCC are keen to hear your views on our proposals and how any changes may affect you.

Attend an activity event over the summer across Kent to find out more and ask your questions.

Events in AshfordDateTimeAddress
Come and meet the team at the Bandstand, find out about your local youth services and join in with some activities!Tuesday
8 August		12pm to 3pmHigh Street, Ashford,
TN24 8SA
A family event providing practical advice, information and support including healthy eating on a budget, looking after yourself and your bank balance! Lots of local organisations offering additional support services, benefits advice, free school meals and healthy start vouchers and other schemes. Come along and find out more.Wednesday 9 August10am to 2pmSingleton Village Hall, Hoxton Close, TN23 5LB

Complete the residents questionnaire by 13 September 2023

KCC Consultation home page

Consultations, Disability, Education, Kent County Council, News, Wellbeing, Young people

Bus Service Improvement Plan

2 July 2021 0 Comments

In March 2021, the government published a new National Bus Strategy which sets out a framework for recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and a vision for future bus service improvements across the UK.

The strategy places a requirement on all Local Transport Authorities and Bus Operators to create a Bus Service Improvement Plan, which will act as the vision for how they are going to try to improve bus services in Kent in the next few years. This will then be used to help create Enhanced Partnership Schemes with bus operators, which will set the standards for all bus services running in the county.

Kent County Council’s (KCC) first version of the Improvement Plan must be published by the end of October and their Enhanced Partnership Schemes need to start from April 2022.

KCC need your help!

KCC are excited about the opportunity this presents and want to ensure that our Improvement Plan reflects the views of Kent residents.

First of all they want to know what would make bus travel more attractive to you. Answer two quick questions to tell them your thoughts.

Your feedback will help them create proposals for the Plan. They will be shared later in the Summer.

Two quick questions

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

Timeline

  • Early engagement
    Kent Bus Service Improvement Plan is currently at this stage
    Give KCC your views by 25 July
  • Further engagement
    This is an upcoming stage for Kent Bus Service Improvement Plan
    KCC will seek your views on our emerging proposals
  • Publication of first version of Improvement Plan
    This is an upcoming stage for Kent Bus Service Improvement Plan
    By 31 October
  • Ongoing engagement
    on Plan and how its working

Kent County Council, 28 June 2021.
https://letstalk.kent.gov.uk/busfuture

Kent County Council, News, Transport

South Ashford Election Results

7 May 2021 0 Comments

The results of the elections for posts representing South Ashford held on 6th May 2021

Name of Candidate

Description

(if any)

Number of Votes

Kent County Council

Ashford South Division

ROSS, DirkThe Conservative Party Candidate1407 Elected
FARRELL, DaraLabour Party1319
PIZZEY, Thomas PaulThe Green Party263
BEHRENS, Wilhelm HeinrichLiberal Democrats232

Kent County Council

Ashford East Division

CAMPKIN, Steven RobertThe Green Party1854 Elected
GALPIN, Graham HaroldThe Conservative Party Candidate1428
JOSEPH, SojanLabour Party596
HARRISON, Garry GeorgeIndependent149
STROLZ, Samuel JohnLiberal Democrats136

Ashford Borough Council

Beaver Ward

BROOKS, TrevorThe Conservative Party Candidate468 Elected
JONES, Dylan AlexanderLabour Party402
HARRISON, Garry GeorgeIndependent105
PIZZEY, Thomas PaulThe Green Party70
STAMP, Jacqueline MaryLiberal Democrats64

Ashford Borough Council, Democracy, Kent County Council, News

Local election candidates

21 April 2021 0 Comments

Ballot box

Below we list the candidates standing to serve South Ashford in elections to be held on 6th May for:

  • Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent Police Area
  • Kent County Council member for Ashford South Division
  • Ashford Borough Council member for Beaver Ward

We have requested election statements from all parties / candidates. Those that we have received can be viewed by clicking the candidate’s name.

Police and Crime CommissionerKent Police Area
Colley, Graham DavidLiberal Democrats
Oyewusi, LolaLabour and Co-operative Party
Scott, Matthew RichardThe Conservative Party Candidate
Kent County Council
Ashford South Division
(includes area served by ABC Beaver and Victoria Wards)
Behrens, HeinLiberal Democrats
Farrell, DaraLabour Party
Pizzey, ThomThe Green Party
Ross, DirkThe Conservative Party Candidate
Kent County Council
Ashford East Division
(includes area served by ABC Norman Ward)
Campkin, SteveThe Green Party
Galpin, GrahamThe Conservative Party Candidate
Harrison, Garry GeorgeIndependent
Joseph, SojanLabour Party
Strolz, Samuel JohnLiberal Democrats
Ashford Borough CouncilBeaver Ward
Brooks, TrevorThe Conservative Party Candidate
Harrison, Garry GeorgeIndependent
Jones, Dylan AlexanderLabour Party
Pizzey, ThomThe Green Party
Stamp, Jacqueline MaryLiberal Democrats

Ashford Borough Council, Crime, Democracy, Kent County Council, News

Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Consultation

2 December 2020 0 Comments

Kent County Council, Kent and Medway CCG

Kent’s Strategy for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities 2021-2024

Opened: 02 December 2020
Closes: 04 February 2021

Kent County Council and the NHS in Kent and Medway are keen to hear your views and opinions about their new special educational needs and disabilities strategy for children and young people in Kent.

The strategy sets out our ambitions to make sure that all children in Kent have equal access to support and education that meets their unique needs and that they and their families are supported to live their best life.

It also explains how we will shape our services for children and their families in a way that improves wellbeing, resilience and learning in our communities.

The strategy has been prepared jointly by Kent County Council and the NHS in partnership with children and young people, parents and carers, Kent PACT and other key stakeholders.

We recommend you read the draft Strategy before completing the questionnaire using the link at the bottom of the post.

Consultation Documents

Supporting Documents

Respond

Kent County Council
kccconsultations.inconsult.uk/consult.ti/sendstrategyconsultation/consultationHome

Children, Consultation, Education, Health, Kent County Council, News, Uncategorized, Young people

Recycling Centre reopens from 15 May

6 May 2020 6 Comments

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) will open from Friday 15 May for essential use.

It’s important for you to limit use of these restricted slots, as they should be used for emergency waste disposal.

To be able to visit a HWRC you must book a slot in advance. Please note that booking slots are very limited to maintain social distancing for staff and visitors.

Booking will be available from Wednesday 13 May 2020

Note that the demand is high: there was a queue of 17500 to get on to the online booking form at Wednesday lunchtime; there is likely to be a long wait time on the phone.

Who can visit

You will only be able to book one trip in any 4 week period to ensure everyone can use the site safely.

Please note that the restricted vehicle and voucher scheme still applies. If you have a restricted vehicle you must apply for a voucher.

See our previous post for links to KCC and ABC pages giving information about other council services.

Kent County Council
https://www.kent.gov.uk/waste-planning-and-land/rubbish-and-recycling/visiting-a-hwrc-during-coronavirus

Environment, Kent County Council, News

KCC Trading Standards Checked

11 March 2020 0 Comments

Kent County Council has launched its Trading Standards Checked scheme for businesses in the home repair and improvement sector.

Trading Standards Checked helps protect Kent residents – especially those who are more vulnerable to doorstep callers – from criminal and rogue traders. It also supports legitimate businesses by giving them trusted accreditation to show consumers that they are legitimate and trustworthy.

Traders applying to be on the scheme are checked thoroughly. KCC has access to information and systems that no other scheme in Kent has, together with highly trained, experienced staff with a range of skills developed in their work supporting KCC Trading Standards.

Mike Hill, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, said: “Trading Standards Checked is a trusted accreditation like no other for Kent traders.

“It will set businesses apart and give customers peace of mind when dealing with Trading Standards Checked traders. It’s also a simple, hassle free trader scheme that offers value for money and provides businesses with all the support they need to trade with confidence.”

KCC currently has two special offers for traders, which are available until 31 March.

Kent members of Checkatrade are offered free membership for the first year, and non-members of Checkatrade can benefit from an “early-bird” discount of 50%, which means a fee of £249 plus VAT for the year.

Consumer advice is available at:
https://tschecked.kent.gov.uk/consumer-advice

Information for traders at www.kent.gov.uk/tschecked

Kent County Council, 10 March 2020
https://kccmediahub.net/kccs-trading-standards-checked-scheme-launched745

Consumer, Kent County Council, News