The planning rule that changed town

Not a favoured route used by local authorities nowadays, but compulsory purchase was rife in the 1960s and 1970s where developers devised bold plans to concrete over our towns and cities.

Today such planning instructions are costly, but at a time when towns like Ashford were being brought into modernity, the compulsory purchase laws were being used freely and readily.

The laws are often notorious for having no regard for both the heritage of the area in question or the effect this has on the displaced party, should it be a business or even a residential cause that is affected.

There are plenty of examples in Ashford’s rich history that saw this commonplace in the last century.

Documents still exist that show both parcels of land to whole properties snapped up under this planning law, a procedure that was and still is heavily controversial.

Whole neighbourhoods have been pulled apart at the hands of this planning tool, leaving planning authorities highly unpopular.

In Ashford’s case, heritage and homeliness have been trampled underfoot with little regard for the feelings and effects on local people.

Seemingly, planners and landowners got their own way more and more back in the distant days of the past, leaving those old enough to remember to be on their guard every time something new comes along in the world of planning for the locality.

This week’s trio of images focus on Edinburgh Road which was tangled up in the planning controversies of the time.

Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me, to enable them to be scanned for a possible feature in the Kentish Express?

Please don’t delay, get in touch! Please email me: rememberwhen_kmash@ hotmail.co.uk

1970 - Town centre street Edinburgh Road is seen here shortly before compulsory purchase laws saw a large section of the housing stock and neighbourhood demolished to make way for the ringway that still encircles the town centre. Today the street is a cul-de-sac – the foreground and the other end is covered by Park Mall shopping centre

1972 - In this photo of Edinburgh Road looking towards Park Street, a whole section of residences have been demolished for the new ringway scheme

1977 - The parcel of land which had originally been on the west side of Edinburgh Road is seen here taken up by a new Sainsbury’s store which is under construction

The railway crossing at Wye with a Poynters coach among vehicles waiting to move off