Ashford Borough Council - Local plan & call for sites

Ashford Borough Council is preparing a new Local Plan for the borough, referred to as the Ashford Local Plan 2043.

On the 2 September 2026, the Council commenced a scoping consultation for the new Local Plan. The scoping consultation runs until 5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

View the notice of scoping consultation

What does the scoping consultation include?

This is the first chance to have your say as the council start work on the new Local Plan. The consultation explains how the council will prepare the plan and when the main stages are expected to happen. The council want to hear your views on:

• The main issues facing the borough,
• What the Local Plan should include, and
• How you would like the council to engage you in the local plan process.

When is the consultation period?

The consultation period runs for three weeks from 9am on Wednesday 2 September 2026 until 5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

Any comments received after the closing date will not be considered.

Where can I view the documents?

The scoping document is available to view online on our consultation portal.

You can also submit comments via our online consultation portal.

The scoping document can also be viewed in the following locations during their opening hours:

• Ashford Borough Council, International House, Dover Place, Ashford, TN23 1HU
• Ashford Gateway, Church Road, Ashford, TN23 1AS
• Tenterden Town Hall, 24 High Street, Tenterden, TN30 6AN
• Tenterden Gateway, 2 Manor Row, High St, Tenterden TN30 6HP
• Charing Library, Market Place, Charing, TN27 0LR
• Wye Library, 6 Upper Bridge Street, Wye, TN25 5AF

How do I make representations?

We encourage comments to be made online.

Give your comments online.

Alternatively, you can respond by completing a representation form which are available to download from our online consultation webpage and emailing it to [email protected], or by posting it to Plan Making & Infrastructure Spatial Planning Team, Ashford Borough Council, International House, Dover Place, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1HU.

All comments must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

Call for Sites

The Council is also re-opening its Call for Sites. As part of the Local Plan process, the council is inviting landowners, developers and other interested parties to submit sites that they own, or suggest land that may potentially be available, for inclusion in the Local Plan.

Find out more about the call for sites, including how to submit sites on our online consultation portal.

If you have any questions, please contact the Plan Making & Infrastructure Team at [email protected]