In 2001 Ashford was identified as “the growth town of Kent” when the Government included the ancient market town as one of four key growth areas in the South East. Today, a £650m investment programme is helping to support a range of exciting building and infrastructure projects as Ashford begins to realise its potential.

Ashford, which is located in Kent in the middle of the Channel Corridor, is now the fastest growing town between London and the Continent. It is on course to double in population by 2031, creating 28,000 extra jobs and 31,000 new homes.

Ashford's growth potential is largely built on affordable land prices, readily available development opportunities and improving rail links. For those in charge of masterminding the transformation of a town which will see the population grow from 55,000 to 110,000 by 2031, the blueprint for success is simple – to make it best placed to work, live and do business.

A brand has been created to help promote this. The 'Ashford best placed…' brand reflects that Ashford is optimistic about the opportunities which lie ahead. It also reflects that the area is growing responsibly while caring for the environment. More information about the brand is available at www.ashfordbestplaced.co.uk

The agency tasked with assisting “the growth town of Kent” to become a reality is Ashford's Future, a partnership between Ashford Borough Council and key government agencies. After several years of meticulous planning and preparation, the agency is now working in partnership to co-ordinate delivery, achieve sustainable growth and stimulate investment.

Ashford's location is critical to its success, with excellent rail, road, air and sea links providing businesses with easy access to 360m consumers across Europe. The eagerly-anticipated introduction of a new high-speed domestic rail link in 2009 will slash the commuting time between Ashford and London from 83 minutes to just 37 minutes.

With house prices around 30% cheaper than London and 7% cheaper than the South East average, some of the UK's best known developers are building a wide selection of homes in the borough, including a sizeable proportion of affordable housing.

Key aspects of Ashford's investment programme include:

Introduction of high-speed rail services to London, reducing travel time to 37 minutes; A £60m extension of County Square Shopping Centre, opening spring 2008; Expanding education facilities, including £55m Ashford Learning Campus; Some of the best leisure and sports facilities in the South East, including a £15m redeveloped leisure centre and international standard athletics stadium; 2 million sq ft of commercial office development, including completion of the first phase of office space at the Eureka Business Park, adjoining the M20 / J9; Development of large-scale residential neighbourhoods (5-6,000 residential homes), including substantial number of affordable housing; £28m investment in transport schemes, including transformation of the Ashford ring road, M20 / J10 widening improvements, a park & ride scheme and other upgrades; £24m investment to improve water supplies.

Abigail Raymond, acting managing director for Ashford's Future, said that Ashford was currently home to 5,000 businesses employing more than 46,000 people. “The town is already popular with businesses of all sizes, from micro-businesses through to major global corporations like Quest International, Coty Inc and Hitachi.

“The introduction of high-speed rail services to the capital is a major selling point for Ashford as a business location. Coupled with our excellent road links and office rents around 70% lower than in London and 40% less than in competitor towns in the South East, Ashford is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for investors.

“By carefully developing our infrastructure and connections and by making Ashford an attractive place to live and to invest in, solid foundations for the future are being laid.”

For more information about “the growth town of Kent” visit www.ashfordbestplaced.co.uk, call 01732 520700 or email enquiries@ashfordbestplaced.co.uk

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Notes to editors:

In 2001 the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East identified Ashford as one of four key growth areas in the South East. In 2002 a study was carried out to assess Ashford's capacity for growth and how this could be achieved. It concluded that within the period to 2031, Ashford has the capacity to provide an extra 31,000 homes and 28,000 jobs.

In 2003 these recommendations were included in the Government's Sustainable Communities Plan, which sets out how housing needs in the South East would be met by providing long-term sustainable communities. Since then work has been going on 'behind the scenes' to lay the foundations for growth. Government and private sector funding has been secured and feasibility studies have been performed to ensure the infrastructure is in place.

Ashford's Future is a partnership between Ashford Borough Council, government agencies and others from the public and private sector, including Kent County Council, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and English Partnerships. The Ashford's Future Delivery Board is responsible for delivering growth throughout the borough and ensuring the town develops in a sustainable way.

Ashford's motto is “With stronger faith” (taken from a poem by 17th century poet Richard Lovelace). The town is based around an original settlement established around 893AD.

As the market town of Kent, Ashford has for centuries been a regional communications hub, and has stood at the centre of five railway lines since the 19th century. The International Passenger Station in Ashford is part of Eurostar's inter-European fast rail network.

PRESS CONTACTS:

For more information or requests for interviews and photos, contact Jeff Sims or Leah Taylor at Edwards Harvey Tel: 01622 604600 Email: jeff.sims@edwardsharvey.com / leah.taylor@edwardsharvey.com