News

Chart Road unlikely to affect Chart Road

27 September 2018 0 Comments

Work being carried out by South East water is unlikely to affect traffic on the A28, Chart Road.Details were exhibited today at Godinton Village Hall of work proposed to reinforce the water supply in preparation for the construction of 5000 homes at Chilmington Green. Whilst works may cause disruption on Godinton and Repton Park, the 200m of pipe to be laid along Chart Road will be laid in the verge avoiding any need for disruption to traffic.

Work will also be carried out on Ashford Road and Magpie Hall Road in Kingsnorth.

https://corporate.southeastwater.co.uk/ashford

Proposed works in KingsnorthProposed works in Godinton and Repton

News, Transport, Utilities

What to do with paper and card

26 September 2018 0 Comments

Ashford Borough Council collects paper and card in your green recycling bin.

Large cardboard boxes can be flattened and left beside your green bin.

PAPER RECYCLING TIPS

  • Paper is a valuable recyclable material but only when it is clean.
  • Remove any plastic wrapping from newspapers and magazines – this can be recycled with plastic bags at larger supermarkets.
  • If you scrunch paper and it doesn’t spring back, then it can be recycled.

Cardboard recycling tips

  • Tape, polystyrene and plastic inserts need be removed from cardboard packaging.
  • Glitter, badges and batteries should also be torn off greeting cards.
  • Egg boxes and rolls from kitchen towel and toilet rolls can be home composted.
Yes please No thanks
Newspapers and supplements Paper that is stained with foodstuffs, grease, paint or dirt (e.g. greaseproof or baking paper, kids paintings)
Magazines, brochures and catalogues Hygiene/sanitary products (e.g. nappies, wipes, sanitary towels)
White paper (e.g. computer paper, letters) Used paper towels
Shredded paper Tissues
Telephone directories Cotton wool and make up pads
Junk mail and flyers Wet wipes
Envelopes (including those with a window) Sticky papers (e.g. Post-it notes, sticky labels or paper tape)
Non-paper gift wrap or bags (e.g. foil-based gift wrapping)
Crisp or sweet packets or wrappers
Wallpaper and decoration paper
Cardboard boxes (e.g. cereal & dishwasher tablet boxes) Card that contains foodstuffs, dirt or paint
Corrugated cardboard Glitter covered greetings cards
Online delivery boxes and cardboard envelopes Food and drink cartons
Greetings cards without glitter
Egg boxes
Brown paper

PAPER – HOW IS IT RECYCLED?

Recycle Now
www.recyclenow.com/recycle-week-2018

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

Ashford Borough Council, Environment, News

What glass can I recycle at home?

26 September 2018 0 Comments

Help make a difference this Recycle Week. If you don’t already recycle, now’s the time to start.

Glass bottles and jars are widely recycled. Ashford Borough Council collects glass for recycling.

 

WHAT GLASS CAN I RECYCLE AT HOME?

Yes please No thanks
Bottles of any colour, e.g. wine, beer, spirits Glass cookware, e.g. Pyrex, microwave plates
Jars, e.g. sauces, jam, baby food Drinking glasses
Non-food bottles, e.g. perfume, aftershave, face creams Ceramics, e.g. crockery, earthenware
Vases
Nail varnish bottles
Mirrors
Light bulbs and tubes

WHY CAN’T I RECYCLE SOME GLASS ITEMS?

Some types of glass do not melt at the same temperature as bottles and jars. If they enter the glass recycling process it can result in new containers being rejected. These items should be recycled separately – check with your local household waste recycling centre.

HOW TO RECYCLE GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS

  • Put lids and caps back on. This reduces the chance of them getting lost during the sorting process as they can be recycled separately.
  • Empty and rinse – a quick rinse will do. Leftover liquid can contaminate other recyclables which may mean they aren’t recycled.
  • At bottle banks, blue glass goes in with green glass.
  • Corks should be removed from bottles before they are recycled but can be home composted.

GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS – HOW ARE THEY RECYCLED?

Recycle Now
www.recyclenow.com/recycle-week-2018

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

Ashford Borough Council, Environment, News

What to do with Plastic Bottles

25 September 2018 0 Comments

Help make a difference this Recycle Week. If you don’t already recycle, now’s the time to start.

Some people are confused about which plastics they can recycle:

WHAT TYPES OF PLASTIC BOTTLES CAN I RECYCLE?

The following types of plastic bottles can be put in your Green Recycling Bin

Yes please No thanks
All clear and coloured plastic bottles from around the home Plastic bottles containing chemicals (e.g. anti-freeze)
Detergent and soap bottles (minus the pump)
Cleaning product bottles (e.g. bathroom cleaners, bleach) (Triggers can be left on)
Skin care product bottles
Shampoo and shower gel bottles
Fizzy and non-fizzy drinks and water bottles
Milk bottles
Ready-to-use plant food and pesticides bottles (check the label)

HOW TO RECYCLE PLASTIC BOTTLES

  • Replace lids and tops. If they stay on the container they will get recycled.
  • Squash bottles to save space.
  • Empty and rinse bottles. Left over foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables and if bottles contain liquid they may not be recycled as deemed too heavy by the automated sorting process. Liquid can also damage the machinery.
  • Leave on labels – these will be removed in the process.

DID YOU KNOW?

It is estimated that an average of 35.8 million plastic bottles are used EVERY DAY in the UK, but only 19.8 million are recycled each day. This means there are on average 16 million plastic bottles a day not making their way into the recycling bin.

PLASTICS – HOW ARE THEY RECYCLED?

Tips for recycling plastic bottles

  • Triggers can be left on when recycling cleaning product bottles such as bathroom cleaners.
  • But soap bottles pumps need to be removed and disposed of in the rubbish bin.

Other Plastics packaging

The following plastics packaging can also be put in your Green Recycling Bin

Yes please No thanks
Food pots and tubs Carrier bags/plastic sacks whether empty or containing recyclable waste
Margarine tubs Dark plastic food trays (from microwave meals for example)
Margarine tubs Plastic film, metalised film or packaging made of plastic film, , such as crisp packets
Yoghurt pots

 

Recycle Now
www.recyclenow.com/recycle-week-2018

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

Ashford Borough Council, Environment, News

A28 Water work information event

25 September 2018 2 Comments

As part of an ongoing programme to improve the water supply network South East Water are planning to install a number of new water mains across Ashford.

The £1.3 million project will involve the installation of new equipment and water pipes, which will help us to increase the amount of water they can pump through their extensive network of underground pipes and better control the flow of water.

It will also ensure they can continue to maintain water pressure to the area as the Chilmington Green development is built.

South East Water are still shaping our plans, but work will take place in the following roads; A28 Chart Road, Chilmington Green Road, Evergreen Way, Loudon Way, Sir John Fogge Avenue and Sweet Bay Crescent.

Work is due to start in October and last for 10 months.

Drop in information session

Sout Eat Water’s project team will be holding a drop-in session for local businesses and residents to find out more about the scheme and answer any concerns you may have.

This will take place between 5pm and 7pm at Godinton Village Hall, Loudon Way, Ashford, TN23 3JJ on Thursday 27 September.

Road Closures

To keep motorists, pedestrians and their staff safe, a mixture of road closures and temporary traffic lights will be used throughout the works, and will be agreed with Kent Highways before work starts.

If you have any concerns during working hours then their contractor, Clancy Docwra, will happily answer any questions on site. If you would like to speak to South East Water direct please call our Customer Technical Centre on 0333 000 1100.

South East Water
https://corporate.southeastwater.co.uk/ashford

 

News, Transport, Utilities

Recycle Week Competition

24 September 2018 0 Comments

It’s Recycle Week

Take part in the Recycle Now competition

‘Spot the swoosh’ on bins, signs, posters and packaging. Wherever you see it, we want you to snap it and share it.

Tweet your pictures using #spottheswoosh by 13:00 on Friday 28 September to be entered into a competition to win prizes from Recycle Now’s partners including John Lewis and Quorn.

Environment, News

Guide to your councils

22 September 2018 0 Comments

We are making it easier to find information about your councils (Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council)

Under our new menu item Councils and Government you will find:

Representatives: Your elected representatives in Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council as well as Parliament and European Parliament

Council and Government Services: Lists of services provided by Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council. We will expand this to government departments in the future.

News, SACF, website

Preferred option for stroke services

19 September 2018 0 Comments

The NHS in Kent and Medway has today published the preferred option for three new specialist ‘hyper acute stroke units’ to be introduced across the county. This is part of an ongoing review of urgent stroke services led by local doctors and other clinicians. The aim is to reorganise services so that specialist stroke staff can more consistently deliver high quality care around the clock, and in so doing reduce deaths and long-term disability from stroke for local people.

The preferred option is to have hyper acute stroke units, alongside acute stroke units, at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Maidstone Hospital and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Currently stroke services do not consistently meet best-practice standards across the whole of Kent and Medway. The identification of a preferred option brings the NHS a step closer to improving stroke outcomes and reducing deaths and disability because of stroke. The preferred option was identified following careful consideration of the responses to a public consultation, all the evidence and data gathered during the four-year review, and further detailed evaluation of five shortlisted options including trust proposals for implementation.

The next stage in the review process is to develop a decision-making business case – a detailed document that will describe how the preferred option was selected and set out an implementation plan that will cover areas such as workforce, estates and capital requirement. A Joint Committee of the ten local NHS clinical commissioning groups that ran the consultation will examine this and then make a final decision on the future shape of urgent stroke services in January 2019.

Over the next few months the NHS will be gathering views and feedback on the proposed new approach to rehabilitation from stroke survivors, their families and carers, front-line staff, local councillors and the public to help inform detailed implementation plans. Look out for further information on the Kent and Medway NHS website www.kentandmedway.nhs.uk/stroke.

Transforming health and social care in Kent and Medway  17 September 2018
https://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/latest-news/identification-of-preferred-option-is-a-step-closer-to-improving-stroke-outcomes-in-kent-and-medway/

Health, News, STP

EIA Screening request submitted for Green Corridor site

19 September 2018 0 Comments

Boundary of development siteA request has been submitted to Ashford Borough Council for their opinion on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for development of land between the East Stour River, Romney Marsh Road and Norman Road. An EIA Screening request is not a planning application but is usually a precursor to a planning application.

The screening request indicates up to 300 apartments in blocks of up to 10 storeys.

The site was considered for inclusion in the Council’s emerging Local Plan for ‘Mixed Use/Tourist/Leisure’. Although the site was not included in the Local Plan as submitted for examination, the Sustainability Appraisal did not exclude development on the site. The appraisal did not consider residential development.

The 2.7 Ha site is categorised as Flood Zone 3a and is part of Ashford’s Green Corridor.

Ashford Borough Council
Local Plan to 2030
Policy ENV2 – The Ashford Green Corridor

The protection and enhancement of Ashford’s Green Corridor is a key objective. Development proposals within the identified Corridor designation (and proposed extensions) will be permitted, providing that it is compatible with, or ancillary to, their principal open space use or other existing uses within them, and it can be demonstrated that the proposal would not harm the overall environment, biodiversity, visual amenity, movement networks or functioning of the Green Corridor.

Other forms of development proposals, including those relating to an existing use within the Green Corridor will not be permitted, unless it would be in accordance with a site specific policy in this Local Plan; or where it relates to a) the redevelopment of a suitable brownfield site or b) delivers overriding benefits, and in either scenario, that it can be demonstrated that there would be no significant harm to the overall environment, biodiversity, visual amenity, movement networks or functioning of the
Green Corridor.

Development proposals on land adjoining the Green Corridor shall provide suitable access and links to the existing networks of the adjoining Green Corridor wherever possible; and make a positive contribution to the Green Corridor in respect of its environment, biodiversity, visual amenity, movement networks or functioning and its
setting.

Development proposals must take into consideration the appraisals, projects and management recommendations set out for the specific areas in the Ashford Green Corridor Action Plan, including the identified proposed extension areas to the designation.

ABC Planning Case Reference 18/00005/EIA/AS
https://planning.ashford.gov.uk/Planning/details.aspx?systemkey=110630

News, Planning and Development, Planning Policy

Road Closure — Beaver Road — 19th September 2018

18 September 2018 0 Comments

It will be necessary to close Beaver Road, Ashford from 19″” September 2018 for up to 1 day.

The road will be closed between the junctions of South Stour Avenue and Lower Denmark Road.

There is no alternative route. Every effort will be made to maintain access for residents whenever it is safe to do so.

This is to enable to Remove damaged bus gate bollard and replace with new bollard to be carried out by Telent.

News, Transport