Free wellbeing events for families this summer, introducing our two new MPs, support for homeless people in the borough and more

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Cost of Living and wellbeing support
Eat Well Spend Less & Wellbeing Roadshow comes to Singleton
If you need extra support as a result of the cost of living then come along to our next Eat Well Spend Less & Wellbeing Roadshow on Wednesday 7 August from 10am to 2pm at Singleton Village Hall, TN23 5LB.
This free event, organised by Ashford Borough Council is one of our biggest to date and brings together a range of partner organisations including frontline NHS staff and Ashford Borough Council (ABC) officers, outreach organisations and charities, in one easy-to-access place. For more details visit our website
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Free summer holiday events at Pneuma Church
Don't miss the lineup of FREE events that have been organised by the amazing team of volunteers over at Pneuma Church Compassion. From a free school uniform and ice cream week event, to a family picnic in Victoria Park there is something for all and everyone is welcome. Visit their Facebook page to see their upcoming events
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Baby Basics comes to Tenterden
A new charity has been launched in Tenterden (and serving the surrounding area) and already seems to be making a difference!
Baby Basics (Tenterden) is linked to a well established national charity of the same name and works directly alongside local health visitors and midwives.
Through this network, Baby Basics provides a moses basket, that is crammed full of new baby and mother products, to mums who are likely to be having a baby in very challenging financial or domestic situations.
For more information and updates visit the Baby Basics Tenterden Facebook page
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Introducing our two new MPs
On Thursday 4 July, a vote was held for the parliamentary constituencies of Ashford and the Weald of Kent in the 2024 General Election, with counting and the final result being declared at Ashford's Stour Centre, facilitated by Ashford Borough Council.
Many council staff were involved in the preparation leading up to the election as well as running polling stations, sorting postal votes and working at the count overnight.
We would like to give our congratulations and a warm welcome to Sojan Joseph, Labour, elected to serve as the MP for Ashford and Katie Lam, elected to serve as the MP for Weald of Kent.
The turnout was 62% and 67% respectively. Following a review of parliamentary constituencies by the Boundary Commission, the new Ashford constituency has an electorate of 73,546 people, while the Weald of Kent constituency has an electorate of 72,024.
Full Ashford parliamentary constituency result
Full Weald of Kent parliamentary constituency result
Our Local Plan explained
Ashford Borough Council is preparing a new Local Plan for the borough and we’re inviting YOU to get involved. A Local Plan provides the opportunity to shape the places that we live, work and socialise.
It addresses the needs for housing and employment and provides a series of planning policies covering many other topics such as community facilities and infrastructure, the natural and historic environment, adapting to climate change and achieving well designed places.
The next series of events will take place in Wye (31 July), Chilham (1 August) and Tenterden (6 August) where you can find out more, tell us what you think, ask questions and leave feedback.
Full list of locations, dates and times
Support for homeless people in the borough
Our project with ZED PODS
, an award-winning British modular company, to design and build 23 high-quality, extremely energy efficient, factory-produced modular homes for homeless people in Ashford is nearing completion. The last of the modules were delivered and installed last month and site work is continuing before the first occupants move in later this summer.
These high quality temporary accommodation apartments are located at the former Henwood car park on the edge of Ashford Town Centre and is the first-of-its-kind modular development in the borough.
The 23 units of short-stay apartments will be a stepping stone until individuals or households who have become homeless are able to move-on to more permanent accommodation. Not only will the scheme make savings for the council’s General Fund over the life of the project, homeless people staying there will enjoy better living conditions.
Find out more and why we've named the scheme Fortis House
Initiative agreed to unlock housing developments from 'Stodmarsh ban'
We've agreed an innovative package of measures designed to satisfy nutrient neutrality rules in the River Stour catchment area, which will enable around 1,000 much-needed new homes to be built.
The impacts of the ‘Stodmarsh ban’ has stopped building within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which has limited the amount of affordable rented accommodation available. This has led to an increase in temporary accommodation costs and a rise in our housing waiting list.
In July 2020, Natural England (NE) issued guidance requiring new housing development in the River Stour catchment to demonstrate ‘nutrient neutrality’. This followed concerns that high levels of phosphates and nitrates in the water were having harmful impacts on the Stodmarsh nature reserve further downstream.
Find out more
Ashford Borough Council receives Ministry of Defence award for ongoing Armed Forces community support
We are thrilled to announce that the Ministry of Defence has awarded Ashford Borough Council with a Silver Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) award as part of the council’s ongoing support for the Armed Forces community in the borough.
Ashford is proud of its strong military history and important connections with the reservist and regular forces communities, having signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant on 10 May 2014.
This pledge ensures that the council will do all it can to ensure that those who serve are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives. This includes offering injured servicemen and women and bereaved families extra support where appropriate.
It’s also particularly poignant to be receiving this acknowledgment from the Ministry of Defence at a time when we have recently remembered those who gave so much for our freedoms we enjoy today, during Ashford’s D-Day 80 commemorations of which it was an absolute pleasure to see so many members and veterans within our borough’s Armed Forces community attend.
Read more
Last chance for free energy-saving upgrades for homeowners
Homeowners are at risk of missing out on free energy-saving upgrades to heat their homes and save money. Eligible residents have until the end of September to apply for phase two of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2), where they could receive free measures such as insulation, solar panels, low carbon heating systems and more.
To be eligible, households must have a combined annual income of less than £36,000 (including benefits) or live in a specific postcode area, their properties must not be heated through mains gas, and they should be considered hard-to-heat homes.
An assessment will be carried out on eligible properties to determine which energy saving measures could be undertaken. Work is completed on a first-come, first-served basis and homeowners should apply by the end of September to allow for works to be completed before the end of the scheme in March 2025. To check if you’re eligible and apply, visit
Check if you're eligible and apply
And finally...
Want to get to Camber Sands beach direct from Ashford by bus? Now you can! Return tickets for the new route 500 service will start from 27 July costing just £5. Great news - will you be making use of it? Get all of the details here
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Want to work for a borough council that puts people first and understands how important employee wellbeing is? We'd love to hear from you - view a full list of vacancies and apply today.
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