Council Talk

The government has recently removed the financial restrictions on local authorities that prevented them from being able to build more affordable homes.

We will now be pressing forward to build more really affordable rented housing, to get people off the waiting list and into a home for the future.

In the meantime we will continue to provide more of our own suitable temporary accommodation for homeless people, to avoid the use of bed and breakfast accommodation, which is more costly and less appropriate.

We will also drive forward a programme of providing for affordable local housing needs so that people can, if they wish, remain in their local areas with their family and friends.

One of our next ‘Big 8’ strategic projects will focus on the accessibility of Ashford. This will involve liaison with Ashford Access and other groups working for people with varying disabilities.

Accessible Ashford will see the council seeking to implement a joined-up set of projects including cycle, walking and public transport improvements, thereby helping to make access safer and more inviting.

It will also assist in traffic management, control congestion, encouraging healthy lifestyles and tackle air pollution.

We will be looking at people’s mobility in all forms and our next cabinet meeting in March will be presented with a cycling strategy report, which promises to help deliver on our wider aspiration to assist in improving the health, wellbeing and fitness of our residents.

I can reveal that we are in discussions with a number of potential partners to make more use of a fantastic asset in the borough – the Royal Military Canal.

This exciting project will recognise and promote the rich heritage of the canal, encourage ecological improvements and foster the use of existing and proposed footpaths and cycle ways running from Folkestone in the east to Rye in the west. This will be delivered in partnership with the Environment Agency, Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Rother District Council.

A feasibility study funded by the Marsh Millions scheme has been completed, and more details of the plans for the canal are due to be announced soon.