SPOTLIGHTON...
First-rate education and healthcare provision is also a key priority for Ashford, and construction work has begun on a new £16 million stateof-the-art Ashford College Campus – an ambitious project that will play a major part in the town’s future growth and prosperity. One Healthcare Ashford is an innovative new £30m hospital which has recently opened, creating 90 jobs. It is the first of a number of planned private hospitals across the UK to offer affordable private healthcare, delivered by leading specialists in a modern and purpose-built environment. With major developments continuing apace, Ashford remains the fastest growing town between London and the Continent, making infrastructure improvements vital. Ashford is renowned for its unrivalled location – only 38 minutes from London St Pancras and under two hours to Paris – and Highways England has
Leading property regeneration company U+I is planning 800 homes and new amenities across two sites in Ashford, bringing over 200 jobs to the area in the process and creating a new community on Victoria Way; while Crest Nicholson’s prime Finberry development, a brand new community on the south eastern outskirts of Ashford, continues to take shape. Since its launch in 2014, sales at Finberry have soared with buyers joining the waiting list ahead of properties being released. Once complete, the new community will comprise 1,180 homes, plus commercial space, a primary school, convenience store, restaurant, health centre, community centre and sports pitches. Work is also due to start soon on the 5,750-home development at Chilmington Green.
Ashford college engineering students focused on careers in the constuction industry Patricia Crawford reports Nine Level 3 engineering students from Ashford College’s Department of Sustainable Technologies were recently given a tour of the college’s new build site in Elwick Road. This heralded two very good news stories: firstly, BAM Construction, the contractors appointed for the first phase of the project, confirmed building is progressing on time. Secondly, the students who attended the event all confirmed their intention of entering the construction industry via apprenticeships or higher education. This is good news for Kent which is recording a severe shortage of graduate and skilled entrants to the industry. The event was attended by the Mayor of Ashford, Cllr Geraldine Dyer, who emphasised the importance of the town having a brand new state-of-the-art college to fulfil community and industry needs. She said: “It is expected that the new college will increase skill levels and therefore lead to better employment opportunities for the residents of the borough whilst playing a pivotal role, alongside neighbouring development, in rejuvenating the town centre economy.” Chris Tyler, the college’s Work Placement Co-ordinator, commenting on the multiple
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ThinkingBUSINESS April - May 2016
benefits engineering students derive from real life working experience, said: “We are very grateful to all the employers who provide such excellent work placements. Our students are always very appreciative and enthusiastic about the information, help and guidance they are given.” Representatives from REME and Kineteco were amongst the employers who attended the event. Cllr Mike Bennett, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development and Graham Galpin, Portfolio Holder for the Town Centre, represented Ashford Borough Council. Theresa Bruton (chair) and George Jessel represented Hadlow Group governors. Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Hadlow Group Director of Finance and Resources, commented: “I would like to express my appreciation to the Leader of Ashford Borough Council for the close working relationship and the capita support with the £3 million grant to ensure delivery of the first two key phases.”
finished consulting on the design of a proposed new junction 10a on the M20, which will unlock development potential and increase capacity. This diverse portfolio of development will continue to transform the Ashford landscape in
2016 – and with over £100 million of infrastructure improvements planned, there are many more opportunities to invest in Kent’s largest borough and become part of the Ashford success story as it continues to look to the future.
To learn more about business opportunities in Ashford, contact economicdevelopment@ashford.gov.uk or call 01233 330310 or visit www.ashfordfor.com