Growth in Ashford and East Kent's coastal towns needs to ensure the area thrives economically, environmentally and socially, the South East England Regional Assembly this week told Examination in Public hearings into the South East Plan - the region's 20 year planning vision.

The Assembly's Plan, developed with local councils, aims to support Ashford's growth in a sustainable way, revive the economy of towns such as Thanet, Dover and Folkestone, improve skills and education, and protect the area's iconic coastline. East Kent and Ashford will see 48,000 new homes and 50,000 new jobs in the next 20 years, all of which will need supporting investment in infrastructure such as transport, schools and hospitals to make sure growth benefits residents and businesses.

Chairman of the Assembly, Cllr Keith Mitchell, said: "East Kent and Ashford need investment if they are to realise their potential and improve residents' quality of life. The Assembly's South East Plan will support this. At present these are among the poorest parts of the South East, yet they play a vital role as the gateway into our region and the country from mainland Europe. There is tremendous opportunity here for creating prosperous communities."

He added: "There is an important relationship between Ashford and the coastal towns, and the investment in Ashford's growth must be a force for positive change that brings economic-led regeneration for the whole area."

Topics at the hearing this week at Hilton Maidstone, Weavering, Maidstone:

• Tuesday 13 February - East Kent and Ashford, focusing on strategy and economy
• Wednesday 14 February - East Kent and Ashford, focusing on implementation
• Thursday 15 February - Other parts of Kent will be discussed in the morning.

For more information about the hearings, please check the Assembly's website www.southeast-ra.gov.uk

Contacts

Lesley van Dijk, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. What is the South East Plan? - It sets a framework for how the region needs to change through to 2026 - for example to provide the jobs, homes and environmental protection that will make sure we continue to be economically successful and offer all residents a good quality of life. The Plan is based on evidence gathered over three years, with significant input from councils, businesses and community organisations and extensive public comments.
2. Examination in Public - Four months of public hearings, which started on 28 November 2006, will examine the Assembly's South East Plan. A panel of three independent planning inspectors will hear views on the Plan's content from organisations in the region before making recommendations to Government about any changes they think may be needed.
3. Facts and figures about the Examination in Public
4. The Assembly's statements
5. The South East England 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.
6. The Regional Assembly is made up of 112 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) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
7. The Assembly has four key roles:
• Advocacy – pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels.
• Accountability – scrutinising the plans and performance of regional bodies such as SEEDA to align the region's priorities.
• Regional planning – preparing and delivering the South East Plan - the 20-year statutory plan for the region that sets the framework for the sustainable development of the South East.
• Regional policy – advising Government on the co-ordination of regional strategies and spending priorities for housing, transport, planning and economic development to improve the impact of public expenditure.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007