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representations on planning matters addressed to the Ashford Borough Council and
to the Kent County Council, and | ||
ASHFORD RURAL TRUST The following letter arrived from the new Coalition Secretary of State for Communities in the last few days and brings the whole process of Ashford's Future into question. Once the formal announcement has been made we will need clear indications from both central government as well as the County and Borough councils on how things in Ashford will now continue. Abolition of Regional Strategies (27.05.10) I am writing to you today to highlight our commitment in the coalition agreements where we clearly set out our intention to rapidly abolish Regional Strategies and return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils. Consequently, decisions on housing supply (including the provision of traveller's sites) will rest with Local Planning Authorities without the framework of regional numbers and plans. I will make a formal announcement on this matter soon. However, I expect Local Planning Authorities and the Planning Inspectorate to have regard to this letter as a material planning consideration in any decisions they are currently taking. The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP CHILMINGTON DEVLOPMENT In the last newsletter we reaffirmed our intention that the Trust intends to take a firm stand to ensure the area of limits of land specified and passed by the Examiner for development is neither ignored or exceeded. All such intentions are now likely to be 'on hold' until the above statement has been formally announced. At a stake holders meeting on the Chilmington development in May it was disclosed that one landowner was not now willing to sell. This now means that build numbers are likely to drop from around 7,000 to 5,000. We have not yet been given details on how this number will fit on to the reduced amount of land, but we will keep you up to date as more information is obtained. KENNINGTON AREA DEVELOPMENT There has recently been a worrying development in the Kennington area. The planned numbers of houses and the land required for them has risen steeply, with much of the extra land abutting an AONB. The Trust has given full support to the process of challenging these plans which go well beyond those stated in the Core Strategy document ASHFORD TOWN CENTRE In the last month we have been informed, only verbally at present, that it is the intention to concentrate much of the apartment building requirements for Ashford's expansion within the town centre. The objective of this scheme would be to reduce the total number of dwellings then being built further from the centre. This certainly follows the logic of maintaining a high density structure and could help prevent the large requirement for land-take in excess of those indicated the Core Strategy. JUNCTION 9 ( AND PARK & RIDE AREA) The modifications to the road network between Junction 9 of the M20 and the Drovers roundabout are already visible, with the removal of the trees ready for the road widening. There has been considerable upset at the apparent 'devastation', much of which has been featured in the local press. It is sensible to remember that the existing roundabout is not that old and that the trees and plants on it were planted following its construction. It is the intention that the areas will be replanted when the new, larger, roundabout is complete. Of greater concern is the right turns with traffic lights which are part of the proposed entry and exit system proposed for the new Park and Ride area. At present there has been no satisfactory explanation on how, having spent a large amount of money to improve traffic flow between the two adjacent roundabouts, the traffic will become congested again as a result of these right turns lights in and out of the Park and Ride. VICTORIA WAY DEVELOPMENT The go ahead has also been given for the building of Victoria Way , which will run from the new set of traffic lights on the south side of Ashford Station along the southern side of the railway through to the junction currently at Leacon Road and Brookfield Road near the Matalan roundabout. The idea is that much of Ashford's through traffic can run across to the A28 without using what was the old ring road system. This will of course put more strain on the A28 from the Matalan roundabout to the Tank roundabout. This road is due for widening to a dual carriage-way but, as yet, there is no firm date for this to be started. All this pressure, on top of the extra road use on the A28 when building work starts at Chilmington, indicates far more traffic congestion in this area, unless we can bring pressure for all the road widening schemes to all be completed together. BEWL WATER PIPELINE It is good to see that work is going ahead on completing the laying of the new water supply pipeline from Bewl Water to Ashford. Demand in the town is likely to double in the next twenty years and this is part of solving the problem of supply. Until the new reservoir at Broad Oak is also seen to be progressing we will still be short of water by 2017/18. The problem is that it will take at least nine years to build and fill the new reservoir, so time has already run out, yet there is still no clear indication from the water companies that they are preparing to go ahead with this project. JAVELIN HIGH SPEED DOMESTIC TRAIN SERVICE There have been rumours in the media that the new Javelin high speed train service to London is proving unsuccessful. It would appear that this has been based on the number of trains seen parked in the sidings at Ashford. The media seem to have ignored the fact that additional trains had been purchased at advantageous rates, to meet the need of expanding the service to a wider area. Certainly many trains have already had to be lengthened to cope with higher than expected demand. MEMBERS INVOLVEMENT The new committee, elected at the AGM in May, are anxious that members become more involved with the Trust. To this end we are arranging a series of talks, the first of which will take place at the Julie Rose Stadium (Colin Jackson Suite) on Monday July 12th at 7.30pm. The Illustrated Talk will be named after the film:-'The Good the Bad and the Ugly'. Your chairman has been on a series of visits with the Planning Department of ABC, over the past 20 months, to some six different new development sites around the South East. It has been an interesting learning curve in seeing what is new, what works, what does not and the fact that many mistakes are seen to recur in spite of previous examples clearly indicating that changes are required. Please come along and bring your friends too. If they are not members it is an opportunity for them to find out what we are doing and see that it is in their interests to join. Your active support encourages your committee to further effort on behalf of the community. Refreshments will be provided. OUR PATRON We are most grateful for the continued encouragement and enthusiastic support we receive from our Patrons Chairman: Tel 01233 624544 Email : If you use email, we would be grateful if you would kindly inform our Clerk, Ruth Ling, via the website or at ruthling11@btinternet.com This will help us to keep our costs down.
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