Planning A Bright Future – Council Sets Out Its Priorities For The Borough

Ashford Borough Council has set out its focus for the next four years in a new corporate plan.

Titled ‘Our Plan for the Borough – 2024-2028’, it sets out the Council’s priorities as we face the dual challenges of climate and economy and strive to bring people and organisations together to achieve our vision:

To make Ashford a place where people, business and nature can collectively thrive.

Three pillars support this vision and form the areas against which progress will be measured:

• Planet – Working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and creating places for nature will be at the heart of everything we do.
• People – Listening and serving the Ashford community is our philosophy; we will make best use of available resources to build an equitable and fair society.
• Place – We are planning for the future of our community and to make Ashford a place people are pleased to call home and love to visit.

Cabinet members last night (Thursday 25 July) approved the recommendation to present the Borough Plan to Full Council for adoption.

Cllr Noel Ovenden, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: “The Borough Plan sets out the Council’s priorities over the next four years. We face many challenges, maintaining financial stability, serving a growing population, and tackling climate change. Our aim is to make Ashford a place where people, business and nature can collectively thrive.

“We will measure our progress against each of our priorities and, whilst we may not be in control of the national picture of which our borough is a part, we are in control of how we react to the issues that affect us. We will be a listening, considerate and inclusive council.”

Public views helped shape areas of focus

The council’s current Corporate Plan covers the period 2022-24 and is therefore coming to the end of its life. The draft Borough Plan was developed over the past year with input from Cabinet members, wider members and senior council officers.

The draft Borough Plan was submitted to Cabinet in April 2024 seeking approval for it to be subject to a public consultation. The consultation was held between 10 May and 16 June 2024. There were 158 responses, which was a fantastic response.

Senior council officers then considered the responses to the consultation at a meeting in June and this final version has been informed by the consultation responses and that meeting’s discussion.

Cllr Heather Hayward, portfolio holder for performance and direction, said: “The Cabinet have developed this Borough Plan through a series of workshops and a consultation which all Members, stakeholders and members of the public were invited to take part in.

“I am delighted to see an increased level of public engagement with the draft Plan through the consultation held during May and June. With the amendments proposed, we will have a Plan that reflects the priorities of our communities, which we will now aim to deliver on their behalf.”