Notice of scoping consultation - Ashford Local Plan 2043

This notice is published in accordance with Regulation 20 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026.

Ashford Borough Council have commenced work on the Ashford Local Plan 2043. The local plan will be prepared as part of the new plan making system. As an early stage of the plan making process, the council is holding a scoping consultation from 2 September to 23 September 2026.

What does the scoping consultation include?

This is the first chance to have your say as the council start work on the new Local Plan. The consultation explains how the council will prepare the plan and when the main stages are expected to happen. The council want to hear your views on:

The main issues facing the borough,
What the Local Plan should include, and
How you would like the council to engage you in the local plan process.

When is the consultation period?

The consultation period runs for three weeks from 9am on Wednesday 2 September 2026 until 5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

Any comments received after the closing date will not be considered.

Where can I view the documents?

An electronic copy of the scoping document is available to view online on our consultation portal.

The scoping document can also be viewed in the following locations during their opening hours:

Ashford Borough Council, International House, Dover Place, Ashford, TN23 1HU
Ashford Gateway, Church Road, Ashford, TN23 1AS
Tenterden Town Hall, 24 High Street, Tenterden, TN30 6AN
Tenterden Gateway, 2 Manor Row, High St, Tenterden TN30 6HP
Charing Library, Market Place, Charing, TN27 0LR
Wye Library, 6 Upper Bridge Street, Wye, TN25 5AF

How do I make representations?

We encourage comments to be made online.

Give your comments online.

Alternatively, you can respond by completing a representation form and emailing it to planning.policy@ashford.gov.uk, or by posting it to Plan Making & Infrastructure Spatial Planning Team, Ashford Borough Council, International House, Dover Place, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1HU.

All comments must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

How do I get notified of future stages of the Local Plan

When responding to the consultation, you can request to be notified of the Local Plan progress. This includes being notified at the following stages:

Consultation on proposed local plan content and evidence (Regulation 23)
Publication of observations or advice (e.g. Gateway stages)
Consultation on the proposed local plan (Regulation 27)
Submission of the local plan for examination
Examination of the local plan, including publication of documents and evidence sent to the Examiner or the pausing of the examination.
Publication of the Examiner’s report
Adoption of the local plan

Alternatively, you can sign up for Local Plan updates.