Community Stakeholder Group
A forum for residents living in and around the South of Ashford with a desire to get involved in urban planning and community building.
Join Today!
The meetings are a great way to obtain important updates on planning applications, to express concerns and to connect with other residents interested in improving where they live.
Every meeting is held in the spirit of listening, sharing information, escalating concerns and working collaboratively with public and private actors to ensure the South of Ashford Garden Community delivers the ambitions set out in the Vision & Strategy.
There are no requirements to join, other than a commitment to attend meetings whenever possible, to be respectful of all participants and to be proactive in the discussion. Being part of this group will include opportunities to get involved with community projects virtually and in person.
Meetings are held every other month on either a Tuesday or Thursday evening from 18.30 to 20.00. Contact us below to join the group. Once joined you can expect monthly emails with upcoming meeting dates, agendas and meeting minutes. We do our best to keep emails to a minimum.
To Join, drop a line to Kat Hoyle at the email below:
katrina.hoyle@ashford.gov.uk
Background to the Group
The Community Stakeholder Group has been around for many years and generally maintains good representation from the local Parishes and Ward Members. Guest speakers from different backgrounds (Kent County Council, developers, residents and local groups) are invited to present on projects related to the SAGC. Some of the meetings are held as workshops to tackle specific masterplanning and/or community development projects.
The Chair of the group is Simon Cole, Head of Planning at Ashford Borough Council. He along with colleagues within the council facilitate the discussion and work closely with residents interested in the developments of the SAGC. The meetings follow an agenda which is distributed in advance of meetings and a Council officer keeps minutes. Every agenda includes reports from council officers on current planning applications which fall within the South of Ashford Garden Community, and updates on community development activities. There are also regular updates on the Chilmington Management Organisation. Guest presentations are sometimes made by Kent County Council officers, developers, residents and other local reps.
All participants are welcome to suggest agenda items in advance of meetings and are encouraged to prepare presentations on specific topics. This is helpful should participants want to bring attention to a particular issue or are looking to start a project that needs volunteers, funds or other support within the community.
The group has been in existence for many years, pre-dating the developments in the South of Ashford when residents and local reps were first consulted regarding planning policy decisions. Many existing residents remain and recently more and more new residents moving in are beginning to attend the meetings.
