Ashford is leading the way in addressing the environmental impact of its growth plans according to a new report, Ashford’s Footprint: Now and in the Future, by Stockholm Environment Institute in association with WWF-UK and English Partnerships.

The report used ecological footprinting to look at the environmental impact of the planned growth in Ashford and prioritise actions to minimise this impact.

Ecological footprinting is used to measure how our lifestyles affect the planet. It is calculated by how much land and sea are needed to provide us with energy, water and materials we use in our everyday lives. It looks at what we buy and consume, the energy we use and what we do with our waste.

Currently in the UK we need three planets to support us but as this report shows, there are measures we can take to ensure we move to a One Planet Future.

Laurienne Tibbles, Sustainability Manager for Ashford’s Future, said: “Ashford is the only growth area in the country to have assessed its Ecological Footprint. Ashford’s planning policies will enable us to meet regional targets for footprint stabilisation and we now have a great opportunity to be at the forefront of showing how environmental sustainability can be achieved.”

Ashford is set to see a 40% reduction in the carbon footprint of its homes due to the high environmental standards set for housing development within the Local Development Framework.

Ashford also has a number of positive initiatives to encourage sustainable travel including the public transport scheme SMARTLINK which should bring about a reduction in the footprint of personal travel (excluding air travel).

Ashford has the potential to build on its successful policies and Ashford’s Future and its partners are committed to exploring the opportunities for further footprint reductions.

The Ecological Footprint of Ashford can be stabilised through local and governmental policy but only with the support of residents can it become a one planet town. Footprinting measures the environmental impact of consumption by the borough’s residents, and everyone can play an active role in creating long term reductions.

Residents can calculate their footprint online and find helpful tips on how to reduce their impact. These include using the train rather than plane especially now the new high speed Eurostar makes it even easier to get to holiday destinations in Europe, retro-fitting their homes to be more energy efficient by installing insulation and double glazing, and reducing food waste and therefore consumption.

Duncan Williamson, Sustainable Consumption Programme Manager at WWF-UK, said: “We only have one planet, with a finite stock of natural resources that we need to share with others whilst saving some space for other species. The Ecological Footprint can provide the evidence and solutions to show us how to do this.

“Calculating Ashford’s Footprint will help to see what we can all do in our homes, businesses, communities and lifestyles to be move towards a one planet town; from using renewable energy to reducing waste.”

To view the report and find out more about Ecological Footprinting visit the Bestplaced website.

Media Release 0267/08

10/10/2008