Ashford On Way To Jobs Target
New figures out this week
show that £650m investment plans to transform Ashford in Kent are
beginning to pay dividends.
Latest findings from the Annual Business Inquiry*
(ABI)
show that 3,100 jobs were
created in Ashford between 2001 and 2005.
Ashford is now the fastest growing town between London and
Continental Europe. Designated one of four major growth areas in
the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan (alongside the Thames
Gateway, Milton Keynes and Stansted/M11 corridor), it’s expected to
double in size by 2031, generating 28,000 new jobs and
accommodating 31,000 new homes.
Abigail Raymond, acting managing director for Ashford’s Future,
the agency overseeing the town’s development, said: “These new
employment figures are very encouraging and we are confident we can
hit our 28,000 jobs target by 2031. The
ABI
survey, together with other
economic factors, demonstrates we are definitely moving in the
right direction.
“While one should be cautious about using a single source of
statistics, this, combined with the fact that unemployment rates
between 2001 and 2006 have remained unchanged at 1.6%, paint a very
bright picture.”
Several major commercial developments are already under way in
and around the town which are likely to significantly boost job
figures further. A £65m extension to Ashford’s County Square
shopping centre will potentially create an additional 700 to 800
jobs by spring 2008, while the first phase of development at Eureka
Business Park, due for completion shortly, will release enough
floor space to provide another 250 to 500 jobs.
ABI
figures suggest
that the number of businesses in Ashford Borough grew by 29%
between 1998 and 2005, almost double the rate in the South East as
a whole (at 16%). Ashford has around 5,000 businesses employing
over 46,000 people.
The town’s new lease of life has already attracted a number of
UK and foreign investors - including Hitachi, which is supplying
the high-speed trains that will operate domestic services on the
Channel Tunnel Rail Link in Kent from 2009.
Abigail Raymond added: “The introduction of high-speed services
will slash train journeys from Ashford to London by almost half to
just 37 minutes, a major selling point for Ashford as a business
location. Coupled with its excellent road links, including the M20
and M2, and office rents around 70% lower than in London and 40%
less than in competitor towns in the South East^, Ashford is
becoming an increasingly attractive prospect for investors.”
For further information visit the Ashford Bestplaced
website or email Enquiries.
* The Annual Business Inquiry is an annual national survey of
businesses. The survey is based on a representative sample of
businesses (and is therefore not comprehensive), the results of
which are aggregated up to provide an estimate of the employment
within different industries and areas.
These figures should be used as a guide only. An increased
degree of variance between the actual and the estimated figure will
be introduced the further and more specific the interrogation of
the data by geographical area.
^ Source: Cluttons 2006
Media Release 0144/07
08/05/2007