Council Talk

It would be remiss of me not to thank the people of Ashford for returning this Conservative administration for another four years following the recent local elections. I feel sure that all elected members from every party will be working together to improve our borough.

The Curious Brewery, a brand-new, stateof-the-art, multi-million pound ‘cathedral of brewing’ is a welcome addition to Ashford town centre, offering something different for visitors.

The brewery has a bar, restaurant and gardens inspired by the Kent landscape to relax in and will host small group tours of the brewery facility that will tell the full field-to-throat story of their range of premium beers and ciders. The Curious Brewery site had previously been occupied by Beaver Road School until demolished by a bomb during WWII. The school was one of a number of buildings hit in a raid on March 24, 1943. Thankfully all children had been evacuated to safety at a nearby shelter.

The head teacher, a Miss Adams, received an award for her actions, which ultimately saved the children’s lives. In honour of that brave act the brewhouse has been named ‘Miss Adams’.

The council has successfully applied for a court order at a property which has been associated with persistent drug use and antisocial behaviour. The authority has pledged to keep up the pressure against people who use council properties for illegal purposes and has urged neighbouring residents to continue to help them clamp down on such behaviour.

Canterbury Magistrates heard that the tenant, described as vulnerable, had moved into the flat in May 2018 and over the past year has been engaged in antisocial behaviour by allowing her home to be used for the selling and use of Class A drugs, including County Lines operations. The court heard that the tenant had allowed serious and persistent levels of criminal activity to take place “while under some level of duress”.

The council, supported by the police, has now secured the partial closure order under the ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This collaborative work sends out a clear message that Ashford will deal robustly with incidents like this.