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Ashford (borough)
Encyclopedia
Ashford is a local government district
and borough
in Kent
, England
. Its council is based in the town of Ashford
.
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tenterden
with Ashford
urban district
, and the East Ashford, West Ashford and Tenterden Rural District
s. In size it is the largest council in Kent
.
Although a large part of the Borough is still mainly rural, that around Ashford is undergoing a complete change, since it is fast becoming an industrial and commercial centre. The corridor caused by the M20 motorway
and High Speed 1 and its railway station
have led to much hitherto agricultural land being turned to other uses.
was 2,600; in 1861 this had more than tripled to 8,800; by 1901 12,808 and in 1961 the figure was 28,000. The census
, for the wider Borough of Ashford, in 1991 showed the total number of persons as 92,331 and by 2001 it had risen to 102,661. Kent
County Council's mid year estimated population, for 2004 is 107,700 showing substantial continued growth in the size of the town, the most growth in Kent. The County Council's population forecasts for 2011 and 2016 are 119,600 and 129,000 giving an increase of 25.2% since 2001. Ashford Borough Council predicts that the growth will continue to rise to 141,100 by the year 2021.
The 2001 Census reported Ashford as having:
There are 43 electoral wards in the Borough; 18 of those serve Ashford town; the remainder the outlying villages. The Conservative party
has held control of the council for much of it's history, apart from periods where no party had a majority, and recently has had a majority since the 2003 election
. After the latest election in 2011
the council is composed of the following councillors:-
There are two town councils in the Borough: Ashford itself, and Tenterden.
There are 39 civil parishes within Ashford District. They are:
The area, once mainly rural, is now fast becoming an industrial and commercial centre, particularly where the town of Ashford is concerned. The corridor caused by the M20 motorway
and High Speed 1 and its International Station have led to much hitherto agricultural land being turned to other uses. The town is very much in the news due to plans to double its urban population (currently approx. 60,000) over the next 30 years, with new housing planned in areas around the town such as Cheeseman's Green
.
From the town centre, roads radiate to Charing
and Maidstone
(A20/M20), Faversham
(A251), Wye and Canterbury
(A28
), Hythe
and Folkestone
(A20/M20), Hamstreet
, Lydd
and Hastings
(A2070) and Tenterden
(A28
).
In 2010 Ashford Borough was found to be the worst local authority for recycling in England, with just 15% of waste being recycled. Recycling boss at Ashford council, Cllr Gerry Clarkson, said: "I think it's brilliant in the sense that we can only go up."
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
and borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its council is based in the town of Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
.
The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
with Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
, and the East Ashford, West Ashford and Tenterden Rural District
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s. In size it is the largest council in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Although a large part of the Borough is still mainly rural, that around Ashford is undergoing a complete change, since it is fast becoming an industrial and commercial centre. The corridor caused by the M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
and High Speed 1 and its railway station
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
have led to much hitherto agricultural land being turned to other uses.
Population
In 1801, the population of Ashford and WillesboroughWillesborough
Willesborough is a residential suburb on the eastern side of Ashford, Kent, England.-The area:The South Willesborough Dykes area, on the west bank of the East Stour river, is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes. The area is designated as the South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature...
was 2,600; in 1861 this had more than tripled to 8,800; by 1901 12,808 and in 1961 the figure was 28,000. The census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, for the wider Borough of Ashford, in 1991 showed the total number of persons as 92,331 and by 2001 it had risen to 102,661. Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
County Council's mid year estimated population, for 2004 is 107,700 showing substantial continued growth in the size of the town, the most growth in Kent. The County Council's population forecasts for 2011 and 2016 are 119,600 and 129,000 giving an increase of 25.2% since 2001. Ashford Borough Council predicts that the growth will continue to rise to 141,100 by the year 2021.
- 41,450 households
- 70% of residents describing their health as 'good'
- 27% of 16-74 year olds having no qualifications
- an unemployment rate of 2.4% of all economically active people aged 16–74
Local government
Ashford Borough Council performs only adequately overall.There are 43 electoral wards in the Borough; 18 of those serve Ashford town; the remainder the outlying villages. The Conservative party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
has held control of the council for much of it's history, apart from periods where no party had a majority, and recently has had a majority since the 2003 election
Ashford Council election, 2003
Elections to Ashford Council were held on 1 May 2003. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999 reducing the number of seats by 6. The Conservative party gained control of the council from no overall control....
. After the latest election in 2011
Ashford Council election, 2011
The 2011 Ashford Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Ashford Borough Council in Kent, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.-Election result:...
the council is composed of the following councillors:-
| Year | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... | Ashford Independent | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... | Liberal Democrat | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
There are two town councils in the Borough: Ashford itself, and Tenterden.
There are 39 civil parishes within Ashford District. They are:
|
Egerton, Kent Egerton is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located on the Greensand Ridge 9 miles north of Ashford. The parish is a scattered rural one; the settlement of Stonebridge Green, adjacent to Egerton, is also in the parish.The 13th century parish... Godmersham Godmersham is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located on the Great Stour river where it cuts through the North Downs... Great Chart Great Chart is a village in civil parish of Great Chart with Singleton in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The parish is split between the ancient village of Great Chart and the modern Singleton housing development, which is part of the western outskirts of Ashford... with Singleton Singleton, Kent Singleton is a suburb of Ashford in Kent, South East England, created as an area of new houses, started in the 1980s.Ashford Green Corridor, a Local Nature Reserve, includes Singleton Lake, a man made fishing lake in the area.... Hamstreet Hamstreet is a village in Kent, in South East England.The village is located some 6 miles south of Ashford on the A2070, the main road between Ashford and Hastings... Hastingleigh The small civil parish of Hastingleigh lies on top of the North Downs in Kent three miles east of Wye and ten miles south of Canterbury, near the locally renowned beauty spot of the Devil's Kneading Trough, on the North Downs Way with views towards Ashford, Romney Marsh and the Weald.Hastingleigh... High Halden High Halden is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located on the A28 road between Ashford town and Tenterden, 3miles north of the latter.-History:... Hothfield Hothfield is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England and is located north-west of Ashford town.The village is located to the south of the A20 road. To the north west is Hothfield Common, 58 hectares of heathland and lowland valley bogs: a nature reserve managed by... Kingsnorth Kingsnorth is a village and civil parish near Ashford in Kent, England.-Features:The Greensand Way, a long distance footpath stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent, passes through the parish on the final stretch.... Little Chart Little Chart is a civil parish and small village to the north-east of Ashford in Kent, South East England. The parish has an area of , and a population of 239. Within the parish boundaries are two hamlets: Little Chart Forstal ; and Rooting Street... Mersham Mersham is a small village and civil parish, three miles east of Willesborough and the town of Ashford in the county of Kent.-History:Historically Mersham has been a farming community with close ties to the local market town of Ashford. The small village dates back to Saxon times and is mentioned... Molash Molash is a civil parish and village in Kent, South East England with a population of about 230 people. It is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty nestling on the picturesque North Downs; on the A252 road between Canterbury , Ashford and Faversham .Molash is a scattered rural... |
Pluckley Pluckley is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, United Kingdom. It is located close to the North Downs, and is approximately 5 miles west of Ashford... Orlestone Orlestone is a civil parish in Ashford District, Kent, England, with a population of 1,500. The centre of the parish is Hamstreet village which falls partly within the parish of Warehorne due to the ancient parish boundary... Rolvenden Rolvenden is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located on the A28 Ashford to Hastings road, south-west of Tenterden.The settlement of Rolvenden Layne, south of Rolvenden, is also in the parish.-History:... Ruckinge The village of Ruckinge is located in Kent. It lies seven miles southeast of Ashford on the B2067 Hamstreet to Hythe road. It is the centre of a civil parish of the same name, which also includes the scattered community of Bromley Green... Sevington Sevington is a small village and civil parish to the south-east of Ashford, Kent in England, with a population of about 113 in 1872, currently 354.... Shadoxhurst Shadoxhurst is civil parish and a village on the Kent Weald, near Ashford in Kent, England located between the North Downs and Romney Marsh in wooded countryside and farmland... Smarden Smarden is a civil parish and village, west of Ashford in Kent, South East England.The village has The Church of St. Michael which because of its high scissor beam roof is sometimes known as "The Barn of Kent".... Smeeth Smeeth is a village and civil parish, with a population of 846, adjacent to the parish of Brabourne, 5 miles from Ashford in Kent, South East England. It is a small village near Mersham Hatch Park on the A20 road from Ashford to Folkestone.The church of St... Stone-cum-Ebony Stone-cum-Ebony is a civil parish south of Ashford in Kent, South East England. It includes the village of Stone in Oxney and hamlet of Ebony.The parish is south east of Tenterden, and stands in a position on the eastern side of the Isle of Oxney.... Tenterden Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother.... Westwell, Kent Westwell is a village and civil parish with a population of 740, located north of Ashford in Kent, South East England.The Pilgrims' Way runs close to the village on the Downs and was travelled by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury... Wittersham Wittersham is a village and civil parish, part of the Isle of Oxney, south of Ashford in Kent, South East England, near Tenterden.The Domesday Book does not mention Wittersham, but it does assign the manor of Palstre to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. Palstre was only one of four places in the Weald,... Woodchurch, Kent Woodchurch is a village and civil parish, 7 miles from the market town of Ashford and from the Cinque Ports town of Tenterden, in Kent, South East England.... Hinxhill Hinxhill is a hamlet to the east of Ashford, Kent, England. It is part of the Wye with Hinxhill parish, located near Willesborough, Brook and Wye.... |
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
and High Speed 1 and its International Station have led to much hitherto agricultural land being turned to other uses. The town is very much in the news due to plans to double its urban population (currently approx. 60,000) over the next 30 years, with new housing planned in areas around the town such as Cheeseman's Green
Cheeseman's Green
Cheeseman's Green is a housing and commercial development to the south of Ashford in Kent, England. It is adjacent to Sevington and Park Farm. It will have 1100 new homes and 7 hectares of commercial space, plus a variety of community facilities....
.
From the town centre, roads radiate to Charing
Charing
Charing is a small village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, in south-east England. The parish population is 2,750 ; it includes the settlement of Charing Heath.It is situated at the foot of the North Downs...
and Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
(A20/M20), Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
(A251), Wye and Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
(A28
A28 road
The A28 is a trunk road in southern England. It runs south-west from the seaside resort of Margate in Kent via Westgate and Birchington, reaching open countryside at Sarre. The road continues via Upstreet and Hersden to Sturry, and on to the cathedral city of Canterbury...
), Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
and Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
(A20/M20), Hamstreet
Hamstreet
Hamstreet is a village in Kent, in South East England.The village is located some 6 miles south of Ashford on the A2070, the main road between Ashford and Hastings...
, Lydd
Lydd
Lydd is a town in Kent, England, lying on the Romney Marsh. It is one of the larger towns on the Marsh, and the most southerly town in Kent. Actually located on Denge Marsh, Lydd was one of the first sandy islands to form as the bay evolved into what is now called the Romney Marsh...
and Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
(A2070) and Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
(A28
A28 road
The A28 is a trunk road in southern England. It runs south-west from the seaside resort of Margate in Kent via Westgate and Birchington, reaching open countryside at Sarre. The road continues via Upstreet and Hersden to Sturry, and on to the cathedral city of Canterbury...
).
In 2010 Ashford Borough was found to be the worst local authority for recycling in England, with just 15% of waste being recycled. Recycling boss at Ashford council, Cllr Gerry Clarkson, said: "I think it's brilliant in the sense that we can only go up."
External links
- MyAshford.com - Ashford's Online Community
- Heart of Kent - Ashford Accommodation, Places to Visit & Events
- Ashford Local - A website about Ashford Borough in Kent