REGIONAL ASSEMBLY BACKS ASHFORD AS GROWTH CENTRE

The South East England Regional Assembly has welcomed the completion of a study which makes recommendations on the growth potential of the Ashford, Kent, area.

The study was by a consortium led by consultants Halcrow. Cllr Keith Mitchell, Chairman of the Regional Assembly's Regional Planning Committee, said: "We welcome the fact that Ashford has been endorsed as a regional growth area in the study. The report's suggested strategy and scale of growth proposed to 2016 is robust and could be implemented quickly. The findings will now be used to propose amended regional planning guidance, with public consultation next summer and a public inquiry in the autumn."

The study proposes a powerful but democratically based implementation structure, recognising that implementation has been a weakness of earlier Ashford plans. The creation of an implementation Board, drawing in all relevant agencies is advocated with a strong, specially recruited executive team to support it and drive forward implementation. This approach reflects the principles agreed by the Regional Planning Committee.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007