Do you have land for development in the borough?

The council is starting work on a statutory review of its Local Plan, which will primarily set the strategic vision and planned growth for housing and jobs within the borough to 2041. Having a Local Plan enables us to make sure that future development is well planned, with a consistent approach to planning across the whole borough. As well as allocating sites for development the Plan outlines planning policies and guidance to ensure local development is sustainable. While growth in the economy is important, the plan also seeks to protect valued assets such as heritage, leisure, nature and open spaces.

Landowners, developers, businesses, community groups and residents in the borough are being asked to speak to the council about sites they own, or to suggest land that may potentially be available, for inclusion in the Ashford borough Local Plan.

The Plan will need to identify sufficient land to meet future requirements for new homes, Gypsy and Traveller pitches, and jobs in the borough, as well as places for retail and leisure uses, and community infrastructure, and visitor and tourism facilities. To reflect the council’s ongoing commitment to create sustainable places that support the environment, human health and wellbeing and that seek to mitigate and adapt to, climate change, potential sites for new green spaces, energy generation, Biodiversity Net Gain opportunities, and wetlands for Nutrient Neutrality mitigation and/or nature based initiatives are also being sought.

Cllr Linda Harman, portfolio holder for Planning, Housing Delivery and Communication, said: “This ‘Call for Sites’ is the starting point for our Local Plan Review. We now have an opportunity to update our planning policies alongside planning development in our Borough beyond 2030 and up to 2041. The first step is to find out where potential sites might be available and so we are asking landowners to come forward and let us know.” 

Each site submitted will be individually assessed for its suitability, availability and deliverability. We are therefore asking  applicants to provide us with as much detailed information about their land as possible to help inform decisions on which sites should go on to form part of a new spatial strategy for the borough.  

To be considered as part of the process, sites should be a minimum of 0.25 hectares or capable of accommodating 5 or more dwellings or 500 sqm of employment floorspace. Site proposals could include vacant or derelict land, or opportunities for strategic conversions or extensions to existing buildings.

The deadline for potential sites to be submitted for consideration is 5pm, Monday 20 November 2023.

All submissions will be made publicly available on our website in due course, following the close of the ‘Call for Sites’ exercise. A site submitted through the ‘Call for Sites’ does not mean that it will be allocated, or provide any indication of the outcome of any assessment process through the Local Plan or any subsequent planning application that may be submitted.

Further information and Site Submission Forms which can be completed electronically or in hard copy and can be obtained by:

• Visiting: www.ashford.gov.uk/HELAA  
• Emailing: planningpolicy@ashford.gov.uk
• Writing to: Spatial Planning Team, Planning and Development, Ashford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1PL