Ashford Borough Council's Cabinet met on Thursday 27 June 2024 and agreed to consult on the draft Borough Plan for 2024-2028. The Council also received an update on preparations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Finally, the Cabinet noted the minutes of the meeting of the Civic Events Advisory Committee.

Local government in the UK operates on a committee system. The Cabinet is the council's main decision-making body, and is responsible for setting the council's overall direction. The Cabinet is made up of a leader and a number of other councillors, who are appointed by the leader. In Ashford, the Cabinet is made up of 9 Conservative councillors and is led by Cllr Gerry Clarkson.

Draft Borough Plan 2024-28

The Borough Plan sets out the council's vision, priorities and how it intends to achieve them. It is the primary means by which the council's performance is measured. The draft plan sets out a number of priorities for the next four years, including:

• A thriving and vibrant borough
• Homes for all
• Protecting and enhancing our environment

The Cabinet discussed a number of issues relating to the draft plan. Councillors were concerned about a lack of detail relating to a number of projects, including the planned town centre market. The market, which had been due to open in 2023, has been beset by delays. In 2022, the previous administration had pledged to deliver a vibrant and successful market, but these plans were put on hold following the May 2023 election. Councillors also raised concerns about the lack of detail relating to the Ashford Parks Foundation. The Foundation was set up in 2019 with the aim of improving the borough's parks and green spaces. However, it has been criticised for a lack of progress. Finally, there were calls for the council to do more to support the Bring Back Euro Trains group. The group is campaigning for the reinstatement of direct Eurostar services from Ashford International station. Services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have not yet resumed.

Responding to the concerns, the Leader of the Council explained that the new administration had inherited the previous Corporate Plan, and were limited in the amount of detail they could add to the Borough Plan at this stage.

D-Day 80th Anniversary

The Cabinet received an update on preparations for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. On 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, in the largest seaborne invasion in history. The invasion marked the beginning of the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe and contributed significantly to the Allied victory in World War II.

Ashford played a significant role in the D-Day landings. The town was home to a number of military hospitals, and many of the wounded were brought to Ashford for treatment. The council will mark the anniversary with a series of events, including a flag-raising ceremony at the Civic Centre, a ceremony at the Memorial Gardens, and a beacon-lighting ceremony at Civic Park.

Civic Events Advisory Committee

Finally, the Cabinet noted the minutes of the meeting of the Civic Events Advisory Committee. The minutes of a council meeting are a record of what was discussed and decided at the meeting. The minutes of the Civic Events Advisory Committee are not publicly available, however they will be considered at the next meeting of the committee, which will be open to the public. The date of this meeting is not yet known.