Research and Data
Ashford Ambition Report
In 2019 the council commissioned a far reaching report to help inform our future strategic plans.
The work has encompassed a blend of research, forecasting, scenario planning and extensive engagement with local stakeholders, to understand their views and aspirations for the future.
The Ashford Ambition Report 2020 [pdf] 16,057KB brings the findings together and paints a picture of the Borough in 2030 and beyond. The consultation undertaken showed there was a strong consensus that the Borough should be prioritising other outcomes alongside growth, such as ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive in Ashford, strengthening cohesion, improving wellbeing and embracing a more sustainable way of life.
The Ashford Ambition: to be a thriving, productive and inclusive Borough in 2030 and beyond; a vital part of Kent and the South East where local businesses, social enterprises, communities and the public sector provide collective leadership to promote shared prosperity, happiness and wellbeing. The Borough will be renowned as:
- A caring and supportive place to live, with rich heritage; thriving towns, villages and rural communities; great schools; high-quality housing; a plethora of cultural activities and events; and a strong sense of civic pride.
- A green pioneer where businesses, communities and the public and third sector have come together to become carbon neutral, respect the local environment and ecology, and embrace a more sustainable way of living.
- A connected gateway between the capital and continent; a growing, resilient and diversified economic centre in Kent, with thriving knowledge-based and creative industries and a vibrant rural economy.
- A place where productive, innovative, responsible town and rural business communities offer good quality work to an agile and skilled local workforce who have embraced a culture of lifelong learning.
- A thriving visitor destination with an international reputation as ‘the wine garden of England’ and a high quality destination for retail; leisure; arts & culture; heritage and nature.
Ashford Residents' Survey
We are currently conducting the Residents' Survey 2022. We have written to 10,000 residents asking them to share their views. The survey is open until 17 June 2022.
Between February and March 2020 the council ran its biennial residents’ survey. This survey was distributed to 10,000 residents across Ashford borough to ask their opinions on the council and the services we provide, as well as opinions on Ashford as a place to live.
Of the 10,000 surveys we posted, just over 2000 were returned to us, equating to a response rate of 20%.
The results have now been analysed and you can read them in the report of the 2020 Residents Survey [pdf] 3396KB.
Where possible, results have been compared to findings from the 2018 Residents Survey [pdf] 3736KB.
