Dig deep to improve access to outlet

A member of the Nuts and Bolts team used the railway tunnel underpass that links the River Stour footpath to Newtown Road.

It was a Sunday afternoon and there was hardly anyone around and he didn’t feel 100% comfortable walking through the tunnel on his own.

He said: “And I definitely would not walk through there after dark, unless I had to.”

So, as we have reported recently the plans for the massive expansion of the Ashford Designer Outlet are now forging ahead and work on the multi-million pound scheme could start later this year.

The grandiose proposals seek to take the existing retail space from 180,000 sq ft to nearly 350,000 sq ft, with lots of new shops and restaurants as the existing Outlet is brought nearer to the town centre by building along Newtown Road, stretching its footprint towards the International Station.

Yet very little has been said about possible improvements to the grotty underpass that is the only means of pedestrian access to the Designer Outlet from the domestic side of the railway station.

We find that rather surprising given that this tunnel is a key means of getting to the Outlet yet is currently so dingy and intimidating.

We certainly feel shoppers might not be too keen to have to use this route to make their way back to the station loaded with bags full of designer clothes purchased from the Outlet when it’s dark, for obvious reasons.

So hopefully either a major revamp of this underpass is on the cards or, preferably, another way of traversing the railway lines is planned.

Currently that underpass, which runs alongside the Great Stour, is covered in graffiti, often scattered with litter, and is dark and usually overgrown with weeds.

Not exactly the sort of image visitors to the town or Outlet are likely to be that impressed with.

Therefore we look forward to an announcement on what’s planned for the underpass as in its current state it certainly isn’t going to sit easily alongside a newly revamped state-of-the-art shopping centre.

It’s 1pm, probably the busiest time of the day in Ashford town centre as office staff flee their desks to grab a sandwich, do a bit of shopping or just get some fresh air.

So they pop to Tesco Express and see a QUEUE at the tills, down the road in Boots there’s also a QUEUE, in Gregg’s the bakers there’s a QUEUE, in the post office there’s a QUEUE and in every town centre bank there will be QUEUES.

Now 1pm until 2pm is the high street equivalent of the rush hour but why, oh why, oh why are the tills in these and lots of other shops in the town centre not properly staffed at this time?

It’s not rocket science to know that all shops are going to be busy during this window of time and therefore the checkouts need to be covered.

Seeing empty or redundant office space in the town centre being converted into flats isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but Nuts and Bolts reckons it’s preferable to seeing these premises lay unused with hopeful “to let” or “for sale” signs displayed outside them.

Surely having more people live in or close to the town centre has got to benefit Ashford’s economy and prosperity as they buy food or drink on their way home or go out to drink and eat in town centre pubs and restaurants?

Picture: Paul Amos FM2917617 The subway connecting the railway station to the designer outlet; queues at the checkout; Former offices in North Street, Ashford are being converted in to flats