Our Economic Development Department supports all existing business in Ashford, the start up of new businesses and looks to attract new businesses to the area. We support key development and business projects and the planning process, contributing to the creation of a business environment that can deliver the growth target of creating 28,000 new jobs in Ashford by 2031.

Current Projects we are involved in include:

• County Square
  Opened in March 2008 the extension to County Square has doubled the size of the town centre shopping centre and is home to fashion retailers such as Debenhams, River Island, New Look and Jane Norman

• Elwick Place
  A 2.6 hectare development site. This area south of the Town Centre offers the opportunity to create a potential mixed-use development in excess of 54,000 m² featuring retail, leisure facilities, offices and residential accommodation.

• Eureka Park
  A business park at Junctions 9 of the M20, currently containing the 50,00sq ft Northdown office development, with outline consent for 1.25 million sq ft of additional employment space.

• Ashford Learning Campus
  A £55million campus to accommodate up to 14,000 full and part time students in further education in Ashford

• Tenterden Improved
  Set up to support Tenterden as a visitor destination, the Tenterden Improved project includes the Cranbrook and Tenterden Food and Drinks Festival, Christmas Festival and public realm improvements in the town centre.

For more information on development projects in Ashford please see the Ashford Development Update.