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Chilmington Green & Discovery Park Area Action Plan

The Chilmington Green & Discovery Park Area Action Plan (AAP) document forms part of Ashford’s Local Development Framework.

 

The AAP will set out the key strategic development and design principles for the site and the policies and parameters for land use, density, building heights and the overall quantum of development. Chilmington Green is identified in ABC's Core Strategy (policy CS5) as an urban extension site which should be planned to accommodate no less than 3,350 dwellings and 600 jobs by 2020, with the potential for up to 7,000 dwellings and 1,000 jobs in total. This largely undeveloped greenfield site therefore presents a significant opportunity to bring forward a sustainable new community within easy access of Ashford town centre and the new High-Speed services to Central London. A key part of the AAP process will be the production of a masterplan for the development of the area, to which development proposals will be expected to accord.

 

Current Timetable

The key milestones and approximate timings for the masterplanning and AAP process are:

 

Currently, work is being carried out by Gillespie's to scope out the possible recreational uses for Discovery Park, one of the three new strategic parks planned for Ashford. Discovery Park will be located at Chilmington Green and will serve Ashford and the wider area.

 

Work has now commenced on the masterplanning process. A full technical team has been appointed by the developers, consisting of masterplanners, landscape architects, urban designers, ecologists, heritage and archaeology specialists, utilities and sustainability specialists and transport planners. A public exhibition on the masterplan options will be held later this year; further details will be publicised in due course.

 

In conjunction with the preparation of the AAP, a Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report has been produced which assesses the economic, social and environmental constraints of the proposed urban extension.

 

Issues and Options

A number of consultation events were  carried out with key stakeholders during 2007 which led to the production of a Chilmington Green Issues and Options Paper. This paper gives consideration to the objectives of the urban extension, the opportunities and constraints of the site in relation to regional and local policy, and other local strategies and initiatives. The Issues Paper was not subjected to a formal public consultation process but outlines all the issues which were raised through the stakeholder consultation events.

 

Consultation

A series of consultation events have been carried out with stakeholders and residents. An independently facilitated workshop was held at the Singleton Environment Centre on 30/9/08 to provide key stakeholders with an update on the Chilmington Green & Discovery Park Area Action Plan process and  give them an opportunity to put their views and ideas across.  Over 40 attendees took part in the workshop.

 

In February 2009, an independently facilitated two day design workshop was held. The purpose was to reflect collectively on the key issues from the previous workshop of 30th September 2008 and work with experts to develop options alongside stakeholders with a view to further developing the  key principles for Chilmington Green which were initially set out in the Greater Ashford Development Framework (GADF) and subsequently in the Core Strategy. Around 80 delegates participated in the workshops. The event combined a series of short plenary and group 'learning presentations', together with detailed discussions and design workshops on key themes.

 

Recently, the Chilmington Green developers and landowners appointed a masterplanning team and other technical specialists to begin the process of comprehensively masterplanning the site area. Non-statutory consultation (such as local exhibitions) will be carried out with the local community as part of this work, and the Chilmington Green Stakeholder Forum will continue to be involved throughout the process. Details on forthcoming community events will follow soon.

 

Chilmington Green Reports and Presentations

Sustainable Energy

 

Arup have been commissioned by Ashford's Future to develop a business case and seek practical solutions for sustainable energy generation at the Chilmington Green urban extension to meet Ashford Core Strategy Policy CS10.

 

Smartlink

The Core Strategy is clear that the urban extensions should 'anchor' a high quality, high frequency public transport system to ensure that increasing numbers of residents are attracted to public transport. The location, mix and density of new development to create a viable and efficient public transport service will thus be a key consideration within the masterplanning process. A rapid bus service, called SMARTLINK, will run through the site, linking it with Victoria Way, the town centre and Ashford International Station. A park-and-ride facility is also proposed on the A28 which will be subject to further viability testing.

 

Ashford's Future in partnership with Kent County Council have produced a brochure outlining the purpose of Smartlink and the proposed bus network, including bus lanes and bus priority measures.

 

Further information on Smartlink is available on the Ashford Best placed website, by following the link:

http://www.ashfordbestplaced.co.uk/live_here/transport_and_travel/smartlink.aspx

 

Contact Details

For further information on the Chilmington Green & Discovery Park Area Action Plan, please contact Charlotte Brooks-Lawrie or Carly Pettit on 01233 330638 or email the Policy Team.

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This webpage was updated on 6/28/2010

 

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