Ashford is getting a new lease of life with the town set to double in size over the next 25 years. Thousands of new homes and jobs, huge Government investment, improved education facilities, new shops, restaurants, offices and community facilities are all planned for new and existing residents.

In March 2001 the Government identified Ashford as one of four key growth areas in the South East, alongside the Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes and Stansted/M11 corridor.

In December 2002 a study to assess Ashford's capacity for growth and how this could be achieved was completed. It concluded that within the period to 2031, Ashford has the capacity to provide an additional 31,000 homes and 28,000 jobs.

Since then a lot of work has been going on ‘behind the scenes’ to lay the foundations for long-term sustainable growth. Government and private sector funding has been secured, detailed planning and feasibility studies have been performed to ensure the correct infrastructure is in place, and the Ashford’s Future core team has been set up to drive and co-ordinate Ashford’s development.

This work has been fundamental to ensure Ashford is now in a position to start delivering the growth.

For more information on the future of Ashford visit Ashford Best Placed. A series of information brochures have been produced and they can be downloaded from the site.