News

‘One You’ health shop comes to Ashford

31 January 2017 0 Comments

The start of a new year often brings resolutions for people to get fitter and healthier, so it’s perfect timing that Ashford has teamed up with Kent County Council and the NHS to open a brand new health hub where people can kick-start their journey to becoming more healthy and active.

Ashford Borough Council has joined forces with KCC Public Health and its service provider Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) to open ‘One You’; a health shop located in Ashford town centre.

The new health shop, which is set to open on Friday 10th February, is part of Public Health England’s national campaign of the same name which encourages people to quit smoking, lose weight and be more active.

Located in Unit 7 of Park Mall, One You will provide support and advice on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Services will include: stop smoking support, healthy weight advice for adults and children, on-the-spot blood pressure checks, a weigh-in service plus support and advice on a range of lifestyle issues.

One You offers a friendly and welcoming environment where people are encouraged to pop in, ask questions and take advantage of the free health services on offer. Visitors can either drop-in or arrange a scheduled appointment.

Visitors are invited to the opening launch of One You on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th February between 9am and 5pm where they can pop in and get a free NHS Health Check or health MOT, as well as take part in interactive games. People can jump on the smoothie bike and using pedal power, whizz up a healthy fruit smoothie, guess how much sugar is in everyday drinks, adorn a fat suit to experience carrying around extra weight and much more. (more…)

Ashford Borough Council, Health, Kent County Council, News, Wellbeing

Cracking down on Blue Badge parking abuse

27 January 2017 0 Comments

Ashford Borough Council is reminding those who have disabled blue badges to use their permits correctly to avoid facing a hefty fine or having the badge taken away.

Ashford Borough Councils’ Parking Enforcement Officers have been working closely with Kent County Council’s (KCC) Blue Badge Internal Audit and Fraud Team; as a result our Civil Enforcement Officers together with KCC will be cracking down on blue badge parking abuse.

Ashford Borough Councils’ Civil Enforcement Team will be carrying out a two month warning phase to crack down on those who misuse their badge, fraudulently use it, or who park where it would cause an obstruction or danger to other road users.

An education programme will take place between 30th January and 30th March. During this time, any drivers caught parking illegally and not complying with the rules will be issued with a warning notice. This approach will highlight to drivers the consequences of abusing the use of a Blue Badge by parking illegally or dangerously in the borough.

Following the warning phase, the council will begin enforcing where appropriate, and those who receive a Penalty Charge Notice will have their details passed directly onto KCC’s Blue Badge Audit and Fraud Team. (more…)

Ashford Borough Council, Disability, News, Transport

Overview and scrutiny in local government inquiry

27 January 2017 0 Comments

Commons Select Committee for Communities and Local Government

Opens: 24 January 2017
Closes: 10 March 2017

The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee launches inquiry into overview and scrutiny in local government. The Committee will consider whether overview and scrutiny arrangements in England are working effectively and whether local communities are able to contribute to and monitor the work of their councils

Governance failings

Overview and scrutiny arrangements were introduced by the Local Government Act in 2000 as a counterweight to increasing decision-making powers of Leaders and Cabinets or directly elected mayors. Shortcomings have been exposed, however, following a number of high profile cases, including child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, poor care and high mortality rates at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and governance failings in Tower Hamlets. (more…)

Consultation, Democracy, Government, News

ABC withdraw from merger plans

25 January 2017 0 Comments

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) has announced today (Wednesday 25th January), that it no longer intends to pursue discussions on the proposed creation of a single East Kent district council.

In July last year ABC’s Cabinet approved a Statement of Intent to explore a potential merger of the five East Kent district councils. Those five authorities – Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet – jointly commissioned the independent production of a business case to investigate the advantages, disadvantages and potential mechanisms for a merger.

Following receipt and independent examination of the business case, the authority has decided to not continue talks any further, but to retain flexibility to enable ABC to consider working with the other authorities and partners throughout Kent or those outside the county in the future.

A formal decision will be made in February when members consider a report put to Cabinet and then Full Council. (more…)

Ashford Borough Council, Democracy, News

Bus timetable changes

24 January 2017 0 Comments

From Sunday 12 February, Stagecoach are launching a high-spec minibus service, branded ‘Little & Often’, which will provide buses every 5 or 6 minutes along routes serving the hospital, town centre/rail station, Kennington and Park Farm. At the same time as the new buses hit the road there will be a shake-up of the bus routes and timetables in the town – full details for buses running through South Ashford are shown below.

Route A

Some Monday to Saturday early morning and mid evening journeys will be slightly revised. Sunday morning and early evening journeys will be revised with buses running the same weekday route (during the daytime) serving Singleton, Arlington, the town centre, Stanhope and Bridewell every 30 minutes.

Route B

New ‘Little & Often’ minibuses will run up to every 6 minutes (during the daytime) Mondays to Saturdays, linking Kennington, the town centre, the rail station, Asda, Park Farm and Bridgefield*. During the evenings and on Sundays, minibuses will run up to every 15 minutes.

*Please note that until the new bridge (linking Park Farm and Bridgefield) opens, buses can only go as far as the roundabout connecting Bluebell Road and Reed Cresent. When the new bridge opens, buses will continue to and from Bridgefield.

Route G

Some Monday to Saturday mid afternoon and evening journeys will be revised. Sunday bus times will be improved to run every hour.

Route 2

The 22:05 Ashford to Tenterden (and Rolvenden) journey and the return 22:49 journey will no longer run following a review of Kent County Council bus funding.

Route 2A

Some Monday to Saturday journeys between Ashford and Tenterden will be revised to run via Park Farm serving Roman Way.

Stagecoach UK Bus 23 Jan 2017
www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-23/01/2017-11:31:55:432

News, Transport

Minister urges people to register their appliances

22 January 2017 0 Comments

Consumer Minister Margot James and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are supporting Register My Appliance Day with the Association of Manufacturers and Domestic Appliances (AMDEA).

Encouraging people to take a few minutes to register their white goods, Register My Appliance Day raises awareness of product safety and recalls.

By adding product details onto the AMDEA Register My Appliance portal, people can be contacted swiftly in the event that a safety repair is needed. The portal is currently used by 45 leading brands, including the UK’s major white goods manufacturers. (more…)

Consumer, Government, News, Safety

Minerals and Waste Sites Plans – Safeguarding SPD Consultation

19 January 2017 0 Comments

Minerals and Waste Sites Plans – Safeguarding Supplementary Planning Document

Kent County Council

Opens: 5 Dec 2016
Closes: 30 Jan 2017

Kent County Council is currently consulting on a Minerals and Waste Safeguard Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The SPD accompanies the adopted Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan and offers guidance on how to proceed with planning applications which have minerals and/or waste safeguarding implications. Details of the SPD consultation can be found on our Planning Policy Consultation Portal – click here.

The period for the SPD consultation is 9:00am 5th December 2016 – 17:00pm 30th January 2017.

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 Links

Consultation Summary

Name Minerals and Waste Sites Plans – Safeguarding Supplementary Planning Document
Description KCC is consulting on our Safeguarding Supplementary Planning Document. Tell us your views.
Dates From 5 Dec 2016 at 09:00 to 30 Jan 2017 at 17:00.
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 Minerals and Waste Planning Policy team

Email:  mwlp@kent.gov.uk

Phone:  03000 413328

Kent County Council 5 December 2016
http://consultations.kent.gov.uk/consult.ti/safeguardingspd/consultationHome

Consultation, Kent County Council, News, Planning and Development

SACF January Meeting

19 January 2017 0 Comments

The next meeting of South Ashford Community Forum will take place

at 7:00 pm
on 25th January 2017
at South Ashford Baptist Church
Brookfield Road, TN23 4EY

The agenda includes:

  • Crime
  • Updates on
    • Victoria Park & Watercress Fields Masterplan
    • Electoral Review
    • District Council Merger
    • Parliamentary Boundary Review
  • Councillors’ reports
    • Borough Council
    • County Council
  • Council Tax 2017-18
  • Planning and Development
    • Ashford College Jemmett Road Site
    • Powergen Plots 3,4,5

The full Agenda can be downloaded from this link or from the Minutes and Agendas page on the South Ashford website.

Please do encourage your friends, colleagues and acquaintances, that live or work in South Ashford to come to this meeting.

News, SACF

KCC Freight Action Plan Consultation

17 January 2017 0 Comments

Freight Action Plan Front CoverFreight Action Plan for Kent

Kent County Council

Opens: 16 Jan 2017
Closes: 12 Mar 2017

Introduction

Kent is unique in its strategic location in the country as a gateway to mainland Europe. Despite the positive economic benefits road freight brings to the county and UK, the negative implications are felt across the county. The Freight Action Plan for Kent includes nationally and locally important priorities such as Operation Stack and the provision of overnight lorry parking as well as looking into HGV routeing and the powers that KCC can use to reduce the negative impacts of road freight. The plan incorporates a refresh of the original Freight Action Plan but brings it up to date with what we have already achieved and what we will plan and continue to do to mitigate the negative impacts of road freight in Kent. (more…)

Consultation, Environment, Kent County Council, News, Transport

Kent Drug and Alcohol Strategy Consultation

13 January 2017 0 Comments

Kent County CouncilDraft Kent Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2017 – 2022

Kent County Council, Kent Police

Opens: 9 Jan 2017
Closes:19 Feb 2017

Draft Strategy:

This strategy has been developed due to the changing and complex drug and alcohol-taking landscape.

The previous Kent Alcohol Strategy 2016 and Kent Police Drug and Alcohol Strategy (ending early 2017) had notable successes.  For example, there has been an increase in Alcohol Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) and, Kent Police have been involved proactively working with Kent Trading Standards on local enforcement, e.g. restricting the supply of illegal drugs and alcohol.

The pattern of drug and alcohol use is changing so now is the ideal time to create a new and joint Drugs and Alcohol Strategy with all partners.

Consultation:

This consultation is an opportunity to for the public and partner agencies to tell KCC and Kent Police whether their proposed response to the changing drug and alcohol landscape is appropriate and as effective as it can be.  Comments and suggestions for improvement of the draft strategy are welcomed and these will be considered by decision makers prior the Strategy being adopted in 2017. (more…)

Crime, Kent County Council, News