ashford's future brochure

Ashfordthe smart choice for a fulfi lling

future

“There are few towns in England that can boast such excellent transport links, ongoing public and private investment, and continued house-building and job creation through tough economic times. Ashford is a place with wonderful natural heritage and a vibrant growth plan, making it a very exciting place to live and work in right now, with a bright future ahead.”

DAVID EDWARDS, HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY

DAVID GARDNER, EUROSTAR

“Ashford offers us excellent transport links, particularly the convenience of the high-speed rail link. The luxury of space, access to a skilled workforce and the combination of high-quality premises and value for money are also huge attractions. The town is undoubtedly the smart choice for any business, with a continued focus on delivering benefi ts for the companies located here.”

RICKY SHEPHERD, 27, ASHFORD RESIDENT

“Moving to Ashford has given us the quality of life we were missing in London – we have more room for less money and fantastic countryside on our doorstep, while still being just 37 minutes away from London by train. With all that Ashford has to offer, we’re looking forward to bringing our children up here.”

Ashford Best placed for business 01

www.ashfordbestplaced.co.uk

Contents:

Ashford best placed 01

Ashford map 02 - 03

Best placed for opportunity 04 - 05

Best placed for connections 06 - 07

Best placed for business 08 - 09

Best placed for shopping 10 - 1 1

Best placed for living 12 - 13

Best placed for countryside 14 - 15

Best placed for leisure 16 - 17

Best placed for environment 18 - 19

Looking to the future 20 - 21

02 Ashford best placed

Town Centre

New road

Existing road network

M20 motorway

Train line

SmartLink

River Stour

Southern Expansion Quarter

Commercial Quarter

KEY:

Major development projects in progress Change is happening fast

Best placed for opportunity

In the heart of Kent lies a changing Ashford. A

vibrant, expanding town with traditional values

and a fi rm grasp of the future. A community and

an economy in the midst of transformation and

growth. A new force for business in Kent and

the South East. A town with new communities,

good schools, arts and culture, and a rapidly

growing business community. Ashford represents

a smart move for anyone looking for a new

place to live, work or do business.

Ashford is the new hub for business in the South

East – the gateway to the continent, and a new

economy for the region, with superfast con-

nections to London and the cities of mainland

Europe. And, with a population forecast to

double in size over the next 20 years, Ashford is

the fastest-growing town between London and

the continent.

You’re looking to live, work or invest in a town that’s connected, thriving and growing. Somewhere prosperous and inviting, with a palpable sense of optimism and a buzz about the future, and where quality of life and great value are second nature.

Take a fresh look at Ashford. The smart choice for a fulfi lling future.

With exciting residential, commercial, retail,

transport and leisure developments in progress,

and an ambitious £2.5 billion development

strategy that will create 31,000 desirable new

homes and 28,000 new jobs by 2031, Ashford is

enjoying a sustained programme of improvement,

prosperity and growth.

A multi-million pound town centre redevelopment

– including the largest shared-space

development in the country – is helping

transform Ashford into an inviting, vibrant and

sustainable town that combines the needs of its

residents with exciting commercial opportunities

for investors.

Ashford is a place where people feel happy and

secure about the future, for themselves and

their families. Relocating your family or business

to Ashford is a wise move – will you make the

smart choice?

Think you know Ashford? Think again.

Ashford - is the fastest growing town between London and the continent

Best placed for opportunity

Ashford best placed04


Best placed for connections

However you prefer to travel, Ashford is perfectly

positioned to get you to your destination. The town

benefi ts from excellent road, rail and air links – and

thanks to an ongoing programme of investment,

they’re improving all the time.

The new high speed rail service to London St Pancras

means you will be in the capital in 37 minutes,

cutting travel time in half. And with two super-fast

trains leaving Ashford International every hour, the

service isn’t just quick, it’s convenient, too.

It’s just as easy to develop your European business

connections – take the Eurostar from Ashford

International, and you can be presenting in Paris

within two hours, brokering in Brussels in 90 minutes,

or liaising in Lille in under an hour. If you prefer

to drive, the Eurotunnel departure point at nearby

Folkestone offers a travel time of just 35 minutes to

Calais, while the port of Dover is 30 minutes’ drive.

Artist impression of proposed M20 footbridge

Ashford is brilliantly located to give businesses a valuable competitive edge. A thriving town at the heart of the region’s transport network, it has unparalleled links to London, the rest of the UK, and the continent, providing easy access to over 360 million customers throughout Europe.

If it’s air travel you need, Ashford is just 90

minutes’ drive from Heathrow and one hour from

Gatwick. Alternatively, you can change at Stratford

– just 30 minutes away – on the high-speed line for

Stansted or London City.

Ashford benefi ts from an ever-improving public

transport network, plus well-maintained footpaths

and cycle routes for low-carbon commuting. The

town’s bus services are being expanded to provide

effi cient, reliable connections to new development

areas, while SmartLink, a new fast, regular bus

service to be phased in from 2012, will connect

residential communities with key employment

areas, the town centre and the high speed station.

Meanwhile, a major programme of investment and

improvement in the town’s road network is helping

to make city congestion a thing of the past. Ashford

is really going places. Come and join us.

TRAINS FROM ASHFORD TO:

Station Time

London St.Pancras 37 mins

London Stratford 29 mins

Lille 57 mins

Brussels 90 mins

Paris 120 mins



Best placed for businessIf you’re looking to relocate or upgrade to give your business the edge, Ashford is a wise choice. With highly competitive salaries, huge savings on offi ce rents, and a large pool of skilled labour – and benefi ting from unrivalled connections to the capital, mainland Europe and the rest of the UK – it’s the ideal location for successful businesses looking to thrive in an ever-competitive marketplace.

Cost savings can mean the difference between

business success and failure. Employee costs

average 20% less than in London and 10% less

than in the rest of the South East. Coupled with

offi ce rents around 68% lower than London, 65%

lower than Paris, and 21% lower than other towns

in the South East.

The town currently has 16 established business

parks – including the successful, high quality Eureka

Business Park, where recent lettings cost just

£210m2 (£19.50ft2). And there’s massive growth

potential, with over 345 acres (140 hectares) of

commercial development sites available, and a

further two million square foot of state-of-the-art

offi ce development planned. Ashford’s thriving

economy is built on a foundation of affordable land

prices and readily available development

opportunities. Average offi ce rents are just £172m2

(£16ft2), compared to £551m2 (£51ft2) in central

London.

A highly sophisticated and super-fast fi bre optic

broadband network is currently under

development for the town, which will result in

world-class telecommunications technology for

businesses and residents alike.


Ashford boasts a talented and skilled workforce.

The town has a working population of over 46,000

employees, with one million adults of working age

living within an hour’s drive, and around 70% more

‘wealthy executives’ than the national average.

Around 5,000 thriving companies are already based

in Ashford, ranging from SMEs to major global

businesses, including Brakes, Coty Rimmel UK Ltd,

Eurostar, Hitachi, and Givaudan (formerly Quest

International UK Ltd).

Add up these factors and one thing is clear: Ashford

represents one of the best investment opportunities

in the UK. Make the smart choice, and come and

be part of it.

OFFICE RENT IN ASHFORD COMPARED TO OTHER TOWNS/CITIES

Towns/Cities Metre Sq. Sq ft

Ashford £172/m2 £16/ft2

Oxford £189/m2 £18/ft2

Tunbridge Wells £193/m2 £18/ft2

Sevenoaks £193/m2 £18/ft2

Brighton £203/m2 £19/ft2

Heathrow £222/m2 £21/ft2

Reading £229/m2 £21/ft2

Slough £233/m2 £22/ft2

Maidstone £242/m2 £22/ft2

Guildford £297/m2 £28/ft2

Paris £486/m2 £45/ft2

London City £551/m2 £51/ft2



Best placed for shoppingAshford’s vibrant shopping malls and inviting town centre satisfy all tastes. From the extended County Square to the strikingly designed Ashford Designer Outlet, you can enjoy a pleasant and relaxed shopping experience.


Ashford’s County Square shopping centre

underwent massive redevelopment in 2008,

doubling in size, and is now home to a large

Debenhams department store, as well as many

major retailers, including Marks & Spencer,

Next, Jane Norman, H&M, New Look, HMV

and Waterstone’s.

Ashford’s high street offers an inviting mix of

your favourite brands and independent retailers,

housed in charming medieval and Georgian

buildings in the town’s historic core, while Park

Mall combines modern mall shopping with a

traditional courtyard feel. A thriving café culture

gives the town a welcoming, cosmopolitan feel.

The Ashford Designer Outlet is one of Europe’s

most stylish shopping destinations. Designed by

architect Lord Richard Rogers, it is conveniently

located near the town centre, and adjacent to

Ashford International station.

Ashford Designer Outlet houses over 80 brands

– including Gap, Tommy Hilfi ger, Fat Face,

Lacoste, LK Bennett and Kurt Geiger – and offers

designer labels at discounted prices.

Ashford offers a wide range of places to eat and

drink, as well as ample inexpensive parking.

Three park and ride schemes planned for the

town will provide 2,800 additional parking

spaces, and will connect the town centre,

Ashford International station, and the Ashford

Designer Outlet.

And when it comes to the weekly shop, Ashford

offers the full range – from value supermarkets

to a brand new Waitrose.

Ashford’s high street offers an inviting mix of your favourite brands and independent retailers


Best placed for livingWith property prices a third lower than in the capital, a positive welcoming atmosphere, exciting leisure facilities, and a quality of life unmatched by city dwelling, Ashford is a great place to live. And with another 26,000 new homes to be built by 2031, Ashford will soon offer one of the widest and most exciting choices of housing in the UK.


Ashford is an exciting place to live. A town with

a thriving community, with quality schools that

produce results higher than the national average,

and with fi ve universities within an hour’s

drive. An inviting town, with room to grow, parks

and open spaces in which to play and explore,

and an extensive network of cycle routes and

footpaths linking residential communities with

schools, the town centre, railway station, and

growing employment areas.

Ashford is an affordable place to live. House

prices are a massive 28% lower than in London,

and 14% cheaper than the South East average.

A prosperous place, where your money goes so

much further. Where you can afford to enjoy

life, live more… do more. Where you can

experience the best that life has to offer.

Ashford is an inclusive place to live. A caring

town, with a diverse range of facilities for all

ages. With excellent healthcare and social care

facilities, community halls, and quality primary

and secondary schools. With an active voluntary

sector, supporting everything from health and

social care to charity fundraising and environ-

mental change.

Ashford is a safe place to live. A town with the

best success rate for crime reduction in the UK,

and where incident rates are one third lower

than the national average.

Add the benefi ts of living in a growing town to

the sense of wellbeing that comes from being

surrounded by the great outdoors, and the

overriding feeling of being connected. Connected

to the buzz of the capital city, just 37 minutes

away by train. Connected to the cultural delights

of Europe, just 35 minutes via Eurotunnel.

And just two hours from the romance of Paris,

via Eurostar.


Best placed for countryside

Ashford’s green spaces help give the town a feeling

of serenity and calm. Our many parks and recreation

areas enhance quality of life, and provide room to

breathe. Stroll hand in hand along the riverbank,

take a bracing walk, have an impromptu kick-about

with friends, or simply relax and enjoy a good book

while the kids play hide and seek.

Ashford may be a prosperous, thriving business centre, but the town is located in the heart of the Garden of England, within easy reach of the beautiful Kent countryside and coastline. With picturesque villages, historic buildings, open fi elds and woodland on your doorstep, it’s easy to escape to the countryside and make the most of your leisure time.

Our many parks and recreation areas enhance quality of life

The town offers many outdoor cultural and leisure

activities throughout the year, as well as art displays

– and, of course, these open spaces provide a vital

habitat for wildlife.

You don’t have to go far to enjoy the beauty of the

surrounding area. Romney Marsh, designated areas

of outstanding natural beauty such as the Kent

Downs to the north, and High Weald to the south,

picture-perfect villages, hop gardens, oast houses,

and the coast are all within a short drive.


Best placed for leisure

Ashford has some of the best leisure facilities in

the South East, including the prestigious Stour

Centre (leisure centre), with its new 25-metre

swimming pool and state-of-the-art fi tness suite,

and the Olympic-standard Julie Rose athletics

stadium, a stunning venue offering a diverse range

of activities, quality facilities, and an all-weather,

international-standard 400-metre running track.

A multi-million pound investment scheme is helping

to create a vibrant town centre that combines

modern shopping malls and pedestrianised streets

with fi rst-class leisure facilities and attractions that

complement and enhance the town’s heritage. By

late 2010, a sensitive expansion programme will

welcome a new central arts venue for the town,

within the historic setting of St Mary’s Church.

Concerts, performances, festivals and exhibitions

take place all year round – including Create, the

free one-day music festival, which attracts more

That elusive work–life balance can be hard to achieve, but Ashford has all you need to live life to the full. The town’s outstanding leisure facilities are the perfect antidote to the pressure of long hours and deadlines. From its multi-million pound redeveloped leisure centre to the vibrant arts community, Ashford is a place where keeping fi t and having fun are part of everyday life. It’s the wise choice for a healthy lifestyle.

than 5,000 visitors each year – while Eureka Leisure

Park boasts Kent’s largest multiplex cinema and

leisure complex.

Keen walkers can enjoy Ashford’s many historical

footpaths, including the North Downs Way, Pilgrims

Way, the Stour Centre Valley Walk, the Greensand

Way and the Saxon Shore Way.

Further afi eld, you can take your pick from a range

of attractions and leisure facilities, including the

18-hole Chart Hills Golf Club, designed by Nick

Faldo, the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch, and

the award-winning Chapel Down Wines vineyards

in Tenterden.

With so much to do, combined with the therapeutic

benefi ts of the beautiful Kent countryside, living in

Ashford provides an optimism and quality of life

that inner-city living can’t match.


Best placed for environment

Ashford believes in smart solutions for a better,

brighter future. We’re working hard to encourage

responsible, sustainable growth and development

within our town, and to harness renewable energy

technologies.

Under our carbon-neutral policy, all new

developments in the area have to offset their

CO2 emissions with initiatives such as tree-planting,

energy effi ciency projects, and renewable energy

schemes.

We’re using ecological footprinting to measure the

environmental impact of our growing population,

and to balance and manage that growth with

respect for the earth’s natural resources.

A new, award-winning venue, the Singleton

Environment Centre, opened in 2008. It was built

A caring approach to the environment is fi rmly on Ashford’s agenda.A strong commitment to sustainability and the environment puts the town in front when it comes to an optimistic outlook.

using local and recycled building materials, and

harnesses biodiversity, sustainable energy

production, and methods of recycling water.

The centre serves as a multipurpose venue and

educational resource for local schools and

community groups.

Meanwhile, a multi-million pound investment and

a fi ve-year plan are helping to improve Ashford’s

water supply, and to tackle waste water and fl ood

risk by implementing sustainable drainage systems.

The introduction of improved transport links –

including cycle paths and park and ride services – as

well as new homes and offi ces incorporating energy

and water saving measures, will all contribute to

lower carbon emissions and a thriving, healthy

environment in which to live and work.


We’re working hard to encourage responsible, sustainable growth and development within our town, and to harness renewable energy technologies


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By 2031, 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs will have been created in this growing, prosperous town. And exciting change is happening right here, right now, as new infrastructure to support Ashford’s growing population is developed. Here are some examples of the changes and developments taking place over the next few years.

> Start of improvements to Ashford International station forecourt area.

> Work starts on Victoria Way, a new road linking the station with south Ashford.

> Improvements to Junction 9 of the M20, and nearby Drovers Roundabout begin.

> Masterplanning for a new commercial quarter in the town centre.

> Completion of works to improve Ashford’s water supply, including a mains

pipeline from Bewl Water.

> Opening of a new arts and performance space in the town centre’s historic St Mary’s Church.

> Planning approval for Elwick Place, including 27,000 square metres of commercial, retail and

leisure facilities, as well as 300 homes.

> Opening of Gateway Library Plus – an improved library, register offi ce, and new educational

and community facilities.

> Start of development of new residential neighbourhoods at Chilmington Green and

Cheeseman’s Green.

> Opening of a new primary school at Repton Park.

> Introduction of a new fast, regular bus service – SmartLink – to connect the station and

town centre with residential areas around Ashford.

> Work starts on a new junction – 10a – on the M20 motorway.

> Introduction of a new park and ride scheme.

> New cycle paths will be in place.

> Development of the new commercial quarter, to provide 55,000 square metres of

commercial space, and 2,500 jobs.

Ashford Best placed for business01

ASHFORD’S FUTURE SUPPORTSTHE PARTNERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR BODIES TO DELIVER THE REGENERATIONAND GROWTH OF ASHFORD. AN AMBITIOUS £2.5BN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (INCLUDING £100M OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING) WILL CREATE THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS AND HOMES SUPPORTED BY NEW ROADS, HEALTH, LEISURE, COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION PROGRAMMES.


t: +44 (0) 1233 [email protected]


Produced by Ashford’s Future, Spring 2010

Printed in the UK by on material made fro

post consumer waste; the printer and paper

manufacturing are credited with ISO 14001

ashford's future brochure

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