Postal voting deadline
If you want to vote by post for the Ashford Borough Council elections on 2nd May, you must apply by 5pm tomorrow (15th April).
News
Poplars planning application
Ashford Borough Council (ABC) have submitted a planning application to demolish 14 flats and 3 houses at the Poplars at the junction of Beaver Lane and Beaver Road and replace them with 31 apartments for independent living older tenants.
The proposed development follows the rebuilding of Farrow Court, nearby, Danemoor in Tenterden and the proposed rebuild of East Stour Court in Mabledon Avenue as part of an ABC strategy to modernise and increase their sheltered housing stock.
The new apartments will be for affordable rent to tenants aged 50 or above.
The ABC Planning case reference is 19/00516/AS
https://planning.ashford.gov.uk/Planning/details.aspx?systemkey=112217
One week to Register to Vote
You must have registered to vote by 12 April to vote in the Borough Council elections on 2nd May.
If you are not registered you can register online to vote in a matter of minutes. You will need to give your name, address and National Insurance number. If you do not have your National Insurance number you can still apply to register you will be asked to provide more information.
Register on-line at gov.uk/register-to-vote
You can contact the Electoral Services Office for Ashford by phone,
01233 330402, if you want to discuss any issues around your registration or, to view the current electoral register, call into their office at after first telephoning for an appointment.
Civic Centre
Tannery Lane
Ashford
Kent TN23 1PL .
Please note they will not discuss your registration with anyone else including family members. If you have made an application it may take several days for us to process especially at busy periods; there is no need to reapply.
Postal and Proxy Voting
If you are not able to get to your polling station on the day of the election you may wish to apply to vote by post or proxy. For more information on postal and proxy voting, or to download an application form, please see your vote matters.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote for these elections is 5pm on Monday 15 April 2019.
If you have a postal vote you cannot vote in person at the polling station, you must use your postal vote.
The deadline to apply for a proxy vote for these elections is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2019.
If you are given a proxy vote and your proxy is not able to attend your polling station on election day then your proxy can make a separate application to vote as proxy by post but please note the deadline for your proxy to apply to vote by post is 5pm on Monday 15 April 2019.
There is also an emergency proxy facility for cases where there is a medical emergency or if you are suddenly called away for your employment. The medical emergency or employment reason must have occurred after the deadline for ordinary proxy applications has passed.
Your application will need to be signed by someone else to support your application. Only certain people can sign as a supporter and details are included with the application form.
Borough Council Election Candidates
The following candidates have been nominated for election to the Ashford Borough Council Wards in South Ashford.
| Name of Candidate | Home Address | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Ward | ||
| DOBSON Rob | 30 Pittlesden, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6HJ | Conservative Party Candidate |
| HODGKINSON Amanda Georgina | Flat 4 Oakleigh House, Watercress Lane, Ashford, Kent, TN23 5EL | Conservative Party Candidate |
| PIZZEY Maria Ann | 24 Lynsted Close, Ashford, Kent, TN23 5RZ | Green Party |
| SUDDARDS Lyn | 35 Queen Street, Ashford, TN23 1RF | Labour Party |
| TAYLOR Thomas Norman | Festival Cottage, Colt Estate, Pluckley Road, Bethersden, TN26 3DD | UK Independence Party |
| WARD Alexander | 94 Sir Bernard Paget Avenue, Ashford, TN23 3RY | Labour Party |
| Norman Ward | ||
| ARNOLD Al | (Address in Ashford) | Green Party |
| BURGESS Neil Robert | 73 Hillbrow Lane, Ashford, TN23 4XW | UK Independence Party (UKIP) |
| JONES Dylan Alexander | 40 Copperfield Close, Kennington, Ashford, Kent, TN24 9RJ | Labour Party |
| WEBB Jenny | 7 Upper Denmark Road, Ashford, TN23 7TZ | Conservative Party Candidate |
| Victoria Ward | ||
| ADBY Jeremy Paul | 14 Church Yard, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1QG | Conservative Party Candidate |
| BRIDGER Matthew James | (Address in Ashford) | Conservative Party Candidate |
| FARRELL Dara | 38 Luddenham Close, Ashford, Kent, TN23 5SE | Labour Party |
| MBALI Charlotte | 23 Western Avenue, Ashford, TN23 1LY | Liberal Democrats |
| SMALL Jonathan | 57 Weavers Way, Singleton Farm, Ashford, Kent, TN23 5DY | Green Party |
| STEWART Peter Alexander | Childrens Farm Bungalow, Norton Lane, St Michaels, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6TB | UK Independence Party (UKIP) |
| SUDDARDS Charles | 35 Queen Street, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1RF | Labour Party |
| TAYLOR Ann Marie | The Festival, Colt Estate, Pluckley Road, Bethersden, TN26 3DP | UK Independence Party (UKIP) |
Where candidate election statements have been provided, they can be accessed by clicking on the candidate’s name. Some of these statements are on the candidate’s or party’s website. Candidate’s representing the same party in any ward may provide common statement.
We would be pleased to post the statements for any of the candidates listed. Candidates should contact us to arrange for statements to be posted.
Voters should remember that Ashford Borough Council’s principal services are housing, leisure and recreation, environmental health, waste collection, planning applications, strategic planning.
Dementia Drop-in Clinic
Have you or a relative been diagnosed with dementia?
Do you need more information and support?
Whether you have specific questions, or wouldjust like to pop in for a chat. No appointment is required.
Drop in between 12pm and 2pm at St. Stephen’s Health Centre on:
- Friday 7th June 2019
- Friday 6th September 2019
- Friday 6th December 2019
or
- Friday 5th April 2019 – Hamstreet Surgery
- Friday 3rd May 2019 – New Hayesbank Surgery
- Friday 5th July 2019 – Hamstreet Surgery
- Friday 2nd August 2019 – New Hayesbank Surgery
- Friday 4th October 2019 – Hamstreet Surgery
- Friday 1st November 2019 — New Hayesbank Surgery
- Advice on treatment, including medication and therapies
- Support and strategies
- Ideas to promote weilbeing and maintain activities
- Discuss the impact of changing relationships and responsibilities
- Signposting and information about other services available
For more information,
please ring Ashford Older Peoples‘ Service on 01233 558125
Kent and Medway
NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
Carers Support
Ashford, Shepway and Swale
Alzheimers Society
Age UK
Op Brock in place next week
From next week, Operation Brock will be available as a tool for managing disruption in Kent. Operation Brock queues lorries bound for mainland Europe on the coastbound M20 and uses a contraflow on the London-bound carriageway to enable other traffic to travel in both directions.
Under the new arrangements, in addition to the M20 contraflow lorries can be routed to Manston Airfield and, if needed, the M26 motorway can be closed and used to queue HGVs too.
The M20 contraflow is planned to be in place by 6am on Monday 25 March, and there will be roadworks on the M20 and M26 over the weekend and into next week as the final preparations and adjustments are made.
Drivers are advised that sections of the M20 will be closed this weekend for the final work to take place, signed diversions will be in place. From Monday drivers will need to follow the different layout on the M20 from just north of Junction 8 (for Leeds) to Junction 9 (Ashford).
The M20 will be closed overnight (8pm – 6am) each night until Monday morning between Junction 7 (for Maidstone) and Junction 9. Overnight closures may also be required on this section next week if there is remaining work to complete. For the preparations for the M26, there will also be overnight closures on the weekends of the 23 and 30 March.
What is Operation Brock?
Operation Brock is a set of measures to keep the M20 open in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel, by using different holding areas.
The queuing system only applies to lorries heading to mainland Europe from Kent. All other drivers should check conditions before setting out and, if they’re crossing the channel, check with their service operator for updates.
Phase 1 – In the event of excessive disruption to services across the English Channel, improved holding capacity in the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, as well as on the A20 approach to the port (Dover TAP), would be used.
Phase 2 – If phase 1 capacity is reached, we will start queuing Europe bound lorries that are 7.5 tonnes and over on the coast bound section of the M20 between junction 8 and 9 with cars and other vehicles using a contraflow on the London-bound carriageway.
Phase 3 – If phase 2 becomes full, lorries heading for Port of Dover will be directed to Manston Airfield, while the M20 is used to hold traffic for Eurotunnel. Traffic lights on the A256 after Manston Airfield will help to manage traffic arriving at the port.
Phase 4 – If the M20 holding area and Manston becomes full, the M26 could be used to hold additional lorries heading for Eurotunnel.
Highways England: Operation Brock: ready for action 22 March 2019
www.gov.uk/government/news/operation-brock-ready-for-action
Highways England: Operation Brock
highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/
For information on driving when operation Brock is in place refer to the Highways England page about Operation Brock highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/
Other ‘Brexit’ preparedness information:
- HM Government:
euexit.campaign.gov.uk/ - Kent Resilience Forum:
www.kentprepared.org.uk/page1.aspx?p=15&t=3 - Kent County Council
www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/britain-leaving-the-european-union - Ashford Borough Council
www.ashford.gov.uk/business/brexit-guidance/
Your Council Tax bill
We will all be getting the bill for Council Tax within the next day or two.
We tell you how much more you will be paying this year and where your money goes.
The table below shows the increase in the precept charged by each authority and the the total for a Band D property.
As in previous years Kent County Council has been allowed to add an additional sum off 2% of their precept for Adult Social Care.
The next table shows how this affects the annual and monthly payments for all properties.
Note: Ashford Borough Council normally debits one payment of an odd amount then nine rounded payments. The table shows the average.
We exclusively show how much you pay for the services of all of the precepting authorities.
References:
Kent County Council
www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/strategies-and-policies/corporate-policies/budget-book
Ashford Borough Council
www.ashford.gov.uk/benefits-and-council-tax/council-tax/council-tax-information/
Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
www.kent.fire-uk.org/about-us/financial-information/council-tax/council-tax-2019-20/
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner
www.kent-pcc.gov.uk/what-we-do/setting-the-kent-police-budget/
Appeal against refusal for motorcycle workshop
The applicant has appealed a decision by Ashford Borough Council to refuse an application to change an industrial unit in Eastmead to a motorcycle workshop.
Alexander Motorcycles currently located on Ellingham Industrial Estate applied, in December 2017, to change the use of Airtech House in Eastmead Avenue from industrial/commercial use to a motorcycle workshop. Ashford Borough Council refused the application in, August 2018, because “The proposed change of use would give rise to an unacceptable level of noise and disturbance to residents within the locality which cannot be adequately mitigated. As a result, the residential amenity of the occupiers of dwellings in the locality would be significantly harmed to their detriment. “
Alexander Cadenhead, a director of Alexander Motorcycles, submitted an appeal against the decision on 3rd February of this year.
Ashford Borough Council planning case ref: 17/01873/AS
Planning Inspectorate case ref: APP/E2205/W/19/3221781
HMO Application refused
A retrospective planning application for change of use of a chalet bungalow in Bond Road as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has been refused by Ashford Borough Council.
The application by Mr. Scott Bayliss, the owner of a number of houses in multiple occupation in South Ashford, to allow the 40 Bond Road to be used for occupation by seven people was refused on the grounds of insufficient parking provision. Although the application showed two parking spaces on the frontage of the property, these do not exist and no application was made for a dropped kerb. It is also thought that there is insufficient space on the property to accommodate two parking spaces meeting ABC’s parking standards.
Since October 2010 a planning application has not been needed for change of use of a dwelling house (Planning Class C3) into a Small HMO (Planning Class C4), however if more than six unrelated persons occupy and share amenities, planning permission is still required. When the Permitted Development rules came into force ABC made a Direction under Article 4 of the legislation which effectively removes the Permitted Development status for Small HMOs in Aylesford Green, Beaver, Little Burton Farm and South Willesborough wards.
South Ashford Community Forum AGM
The Annual General Meeting of South Ashford Community Forum will be held
- at 7:00 pm
- on Thursday 28th February
- at South Ashford Baptist Church
Brookfield Road, TN23 4EY
Agenda items are:
AGM
- Previous minutes
- Report
- Future of SACF
proposal to change the operation and constition of the Forum - Election of Committee
Ordinary Meeting
- Previous minutes
- Council Tax
- Victoria Park
- Health: Sustainability and Transformation Plan
- Development
- Local Plan
- East Stour Park
- Halstow Way
- Poplars
All who live or work in South Ashford are welcome
Future of South Ashford Community Forum
A proposal to change the way that the Forum operates will necessitate a change of the constitution. Please click on the links below to download copies of the: