Background
In 2019, Homes England designated the South of Ashford area as a Garden Community. The South of Ashford Garden Community (SAGC) is made up of three developments: Chilmington Green (5,750 homes), Court Lodge (1,000 homes) and Kingsnorth Green (550 homes).
Following the designation in 2019, development partners, Parishes, Ward Councillors and community members began discussing how Chilmington Green, Court Lodge and Kingsnorth Green could come forward together to deliver the Garden Community, including considering the challenges such developments may bring, and also the potential benefits.
For these reasons a number of public events and activities were organised between 2019 and 2021 to help frame the vision for the area.
Setting a Vision for the South of Ashford Garden Community
Between March 2019 and January 2021, Ashford Borough Council organised a series of consultation activities to inform the Five Year Vision & Strategy for the South of Ashford Garden Community (SAGC). Local people in the Wards, Parishes and wider areas most likely to be impacted by the proposed developments within the Garden Community were asked to take part.
The Five Year Vision & Strategy was adopted in December 2020.
View SAGC Exec Summary report [pdf] 2586KB.
Timeline to creating the Vision & Strategy for the SAGC
|
Timeline |
Strategy |
|---|---|
|
12 March 2019 |
First Public Workshop held at Homelands Football Club |
|
30 September 2019 |
Second Public Workshop held at Homelands Football Club |
|
12 November 2019 |
Report Back on workshops and next steps |
|
2 September - 2 October 2020 |
Public survey on feedback process and anything further they wanted to see in the Garden Community |
|
7, 9 and 10 September 2020 |
Community Focus Groups – Small groups representing voices from across the South of Ashford area gather to tackle specific topics relating to the SAGC. |
|
17 September 2020 |
SAGC Community Stakeholder Group – Local residents meet with ABC Planning Officers, Parish and Ward Councillors to discuss local issues and wider SAGC planning. |
|
25 September 2020 |
Our Garden Village - a virtual event to hear local stories from lockdown, the good and the bad, and what might be needed most with the arrival of a new community, a garden community to the South of Ashford. |
|
9 November 2020 |
Draft Vision & Strategy made available for public review |
|
19 November 2020 |
SAGC Community Stakeholder Group – Local residents meet with ABC Planning Officers, Parish and Ward Councillors to discuss local issues and wider SAGC planning |
|
17 December 2020 |
Adoption of the Vision & Strategy |
|
2021 - 2025 |
Implementation of Vision & Strategy's Action Plan |
