The number of people at risk of losing their homes in Ashford has fallen sharply, despite the fact that, nationally, more homeowners are now struggling to keep up with higher mortgage payments.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of mortgage repossession claims issued in Ashford between April and June this year has dropped by 21% compared to the same period in 2007.

That bucks the trend in the South East and across England and Wales as a whole, which saw a jump of 13% and 17% respectively.

Ashford has also seen a 19% drop in landlord possession actions between April and June compared to last year.

Judith Armitt, Managing Director of Ashford’s Future, believes there are a number of factors behind Ashford’s resilience to the current economic downturn: “While house buyers and sellers across the UK generally are facing a tough few months as the credit crunch continues to tighten its grip, there is still a good demand for homes in Ashford because Ashford continues to offer quality new housing at very competitive prices.

“Demand is likely to increase further once high-speed domestic rail services start in December 2009, cutting journey times from Ashford to the capital to just 37 minutes.

"Ashford is attracting a growing number of well-paid, skilled jobs, which means those living and working in the town are managing to weather the storm.”

Ashford is now the fastest growing town between London and Continental Europe, with ambitious plans to build 31,000 homes by 2031 and create 28,000 jobs. Around £2.5bn of public and private sector money is expected to be invested in Ashford.

Media Release 0234/08

01/09/2008