Spring Report 2003

The change in Chairmanship of the Trust approved at last year's Annual General Meeting has not yet taken place; the present incumbent remains Ashford resident; his successor Ian Grant is still London resident.

It will be apparent from what is reported below that over recent months in particular the Trust's attention and energies have been focussed very much more on evolution of Ashford's larger strategic planning issues within the planning process rather than, as previously, on the minutiae of the development implementation aspects of Ashford's growth.

Put another way, we are being invited and are involving more in the bigger picture, and we think really quite effectively, than in the detail of individual controversial planning applications. However as the Borough Council's Development Implementation Department well knows, that is not to say we are ignoring controversial issues; we continue to involve in these also, especially at the housing estate planning & development level.

The Consultation Process - "Ashford's Future".

Members Annual Coach Tour.
Last year's tour took place on 31 October and was the best attended over recent years. This year's tour is provisionally scheduled for 30 October.

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Trust held at
Ashford School on Wednesday 28 May 2003

Following refreshments, the meeting was convened at 7.30 pm with Neville Green in the chair. There were some 45 members of the Trust present.

Apologies for absence were received from Committee member Borough Council Deputy Leader Cllr. Paul Bartlett and from Honorary Treasurer Grahame McKenzie, also from Michael Clover and Trevor Campbell.

The Chairman welcomed the Countess Mountbatten, Patron of the Trust, and all members and friends of the Trust present. He then introduced the top table - himself continuing as Trust Chairman, Ian Grant as Chairman Designate, and the speaker for the evening, Leader of Kent County Council Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart.

AGENDA

1. To adopt the minutes of the General Meeting of 30 May 2002

The minutes having been circulated prior to the commencement of the meeting, it was proposed, seconded and agreed unanimously that they be adopted.

2. Chairman's Report

Commenting that his Autumn 2002 and Spring 2003 reports, with related attachments, had been mailed to the membership as usual and additionally that, as also now usual, they are to be found on the Trust's web site he drew attention to the fact that the Trust's activities currently focus much more on the larger local matters, such as Ashford's expansion, the M20 Junction 10 problems, wind power, CTRL matters & the fast commute, water resources & the like, rather than on the occasional objectionable planning application brought to the Trust's attention. This shift in focus is a direct result of the Committee's involvement in the process of consultation with local government and with central government at the House of Commons level. However that is not to say that the Trust is no longer interested in individual planning applications - very recently the Trust submitted a strongly worded objection to a proposed telecommunications mast installation at, of all places, the highest, most exposed and therefore the most visible point in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within the Trust's constituency area.
(NOTE: The Borough Council subsequently refused the application).

The debate on Ashford's future and its housing expansion continues, with Ashford Borough Council empowered by Whitehall to proceed via the creation of a Delivery Board. This Board is charged presently with identifying what it is that makes Ashford different now and what is to make it different in the future, by developing a "brand", by identifying how and where some 30,000 new homes and 29,000 new jobs can be provided within a Local Development Framework (as the old Local Plan is now to be called). The Delivery Board is to identify a 30-year transport strategy and to commence to plan design and sustainability standards. Formidable tasks, yes, but in the Trust's view, on the record in the House of Commons, perhaps one of the most challenging of all its tasks will be delivery over the period of the 29,000 new jobs required locally to prevent Ashford becoming a dormitory town. The Trust takes this view because what must come before the jobs is the incentive to new employers to locate in Ashford; that will require very much more than Ashford's present supply of labour, by then possessed of all the many diverse vocational, technical, technological and business management skills needed by capital-intensive industry. Those skills start in local schools and colleges yet to be built. Certainly what we don't need here in the Garden of England is the option of an alternative labour-intensive industry of the metal bashing, smoke stack variety.

3. Honorary Treasurer's Report & Accounts for the year to 5 April 2003

In the Treasurer's absence the Chairman drew attention to the accounts and the report on them circulated prior to the meeting. He commented that they make satisfactory reading, with the Trust's financial position remaining sound at an accumulated surplus of £3,049 (£2,996 in 2002). As there were no questions from the floor, it was then proposed, seconded and agreed unanimously that the accounts and report be adopted.

4. Life Membership

Clause 4(1) of the Trust's Constitution permits the Chairman to introduce and deal with other business at General Meetings. The Committee had earlier resolved that it be proposed at this General Meeting that with immediate effect the public should be given the additional option of joining the Trust as Life Members, or converting to Life Membership, at one-time subscriptions of £50 for Single Life Membership and £90 for Joint Life Membership. It is anticipated that introduction of such categories of membership will additionally lessen the administrative burden on the Trust's Officers. This resolution was so proposed, seconded, agreed by those present and adopted.

5. Election of Committee & Officers

The Chairman reminded members that Ian Grant was elected as Chairman Designate at the last General Meeting, to take over as Chairman on taking up residence in his Ashford home. This he has yet to accomplish. Nor has the incumbent Chairman yet achieved his planned move from Ashford to his London home. The status quo agreed at the last General Meeting therefore prevails, with those members present indicating continuing agreement.

There having been no co-options to the Committee since the last General Meeting and no member of the Committee having indicated a wish to stand down, all were so deemed to have offered themselves for re-election to the Committee for a further year, with all Officers retaining their present positions. Accordingly it was proposed that they be so re-elected en bloc. This was duly seconded and carried unanimously.

6. Any other business

There being none, the formal business of the meeting concluded.

The Chairman then invited Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, well known to many present, to speak.

Sir Sandy, who spoke without notes, gave the meeting a clear Kent County Council overview of the position today in regard to Ashford's much debated future, explaining that, in very many respects, the strategies adopted to date by the Borough Council to reach today's position have been consistent with strategies employed at County Hall in dealings with Whitehall, over the period & on the same subject. He emphasised, however, that whilst to date County Hall has disagreed and continues to disagree with Whitehall on some basic development points of principle, it has not been possible for the County to go so far as to institute High Court proceedings against the Whitehall view because the odds against success are judged to be more than the 50% ceiling allowed to Councils in order to spend tax-payers money on such issues.

Referring to the Chairman's earlier remarks on the creation of a Delivery Board to handle Ashford's development preliminaries, Sir Sandy strongly advocated earliest dialogue with the Board by the Trust and other relevant organisations on issues of concern.
(Click here to read the Trust's comments about the Delivery Board's statements on the need to ensure a balance between new homes and new jobs.)

At the conclusion of his short talk Sir Sandy responded at length to the very many questions arising from the floor, before a Vote of Thanks to the speaker was proposed on behalf of those present by Committee member Charles Wilkinson.

The meeting was then adjourned, at 9 pm.

Your Committee is always in need of new members, especially at this critical time in Ashford's development. Volunteers are most welcome.

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