The Cabinet noted the performance of the council's commercial property portfolio in the last financial year, adopted a number of new policies, and agreed a draft budget for 2025/26, to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. They also agreed to appoint two members of staff to the board of Stour Environmental Credits Ltd. The Cabinet noted the latest Schedule of Key Decisions.

Ashford International Studios / Newtown Works

The Cabinet received an update on the progress of works at the Newtown Works development, which will be home to the Ashford International Studios. They heard that the development was facing challenges due to an imposed completion date of March 2025, set by the government's Levelling Up Fund (LUF). The fund has provided £14,773,745 to support the development of the site, which will be home to a film studio, housing, educational facilities, commercial space and a hotel. In order to ensure that LUF funding is not lost, the Ashford International Development Company (AIDC) will be focusing on works that retain the site's value, and a report into the viability of the studio element of the development will be produced. The Cabinet also agreed that masterplanning work should be undertaken to assess possible options for the site. A report on this would come back to the Trading and Enterprise Board in due course. This follows on from the Cabinet meeting on 27 September 2024, where it was noted that:

Ashford International Studios has the potential to deliver on the ambitions for growth at a local, regional and national level, but there is still a long way to go and there remains many challenges which still need to be met.

Council Budget

The Cabinet reviewed the council's draft budget for 2025/26. They heard that the budget was built on the basis of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), which was presented to the Cabinet at its meeting on 14 November 2024. The draft budget for 2025/26 showed an overall deficit to the General Fund of £188,170, broadly in line with the MTFP.

The Cabinet noted that the draft budget included a provision to increase council tax by the maximum amount permitted under current regulations: 2.99% - equivalent to £5.62 for a Band D property. This would take the total council tax for a Band D property in Ashford to £193.58. It was clarified that the maximum increase for Ashford Borough Council, permitted under capping regulations, was still 2.99% (not 5%).

The Cabinet noted that, due to an increase in long-term empty properties and the impact of nutrient neutrality restrictions arising from the Stodmarsh judgement on development, New Homes Bonus payments were forecast to reduce to £79,000, from £1.4 million in 2024/25.

The Cabinet noted that a policy statement published on 28 November 2024 by the government indicated that government grant funding for local government in 2025/26 would be cash flat, including a government assumption that councils would increase council tax by the maximum amount permissible, and would not allow for inflation.

The Cabinet heard that homelessness continued to be a concern, with an expected overspend of £878,000 on the homelessness budget in 2024/25. The MTFP had included a £500,000 increase for homelessness but this had already been exceeded, due to increasing temporary accommodation costs. The Cabinet heard that the council is looking to procure its own temporary accommodation to reduce costs, and that schemes such as Henwood, Trafalgar House and Elwick Studios were expected to benefit the budget fully in 2025/26.

The Cabinet heard that the new waste collection contract, which started in 2024/25, was running at £500,000 above budget. This increase was mostly due to indexation and growth forecasts. The cabinet heard that the impact on the 2025/26 budget of the move to International House would be a budget reduction of £213,000 for facilities management. However, they noted that this budget was fluid until arrangements around the future use of the Civic Centre were finalised.

The Cabinet heard that the Ashford Port Health service would be fully recharged a fair proportion of corporate costs for 2025/26, and that the service was also forecast to generate £300,000 from checks on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The Cabinet noted that the Housing Revenue Account was forecast to return an overall surplus of £277,960.

Council Performance

The Cabinet considered the council's performance for Quarter 2 of 2024/25. They noted that the number of planning applications being determined within the target timeframe had improved. They also noted the performance of the Ashford Cinema, which was broadly in line with its business plan, despite visitor numbers being lower than expected in August.

The Cabinet noted that Kent County Council were considering removing grants which support the administration of complex Council Tax Reduction Schemes (CTRS). Provision had been made to reduce the tax base in 2025/26 to mitigate immediate pressures.

The Cabinet noted that Ashford Borough Council had been given a C3 rating by the Regulator for Social Housing after a self-referral in response to overdue electrical safety checks, incomplete fire safety remedial work, and a lack of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in some properties. They noted that an action plan had been completed to address these issues, including a full stock condition survey to provide more accurate information about the council’s housing stock.

Safeguarding Policy

The Cabinet adopted a new Safeguarding Policy. The policy outlines the procedures the council should follow to ensure the safety of children, young people and adults at risk, when using or receiving services provided by the council. The policy applies to members, staff, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of the council.

Stray Dogs Policy

The Cabinet adopted a new Stray Dog Policy. The Policy outlines how the council approaches the delivery of its legal duty to deal with stray dogs found in the borough.

Food and Drink at Civic Events

The Cabinet adopted a new policy for the provision of food and drink at civic meetings and receptions, such as Mayor Making. The policy commits the council to supporting local producers of food and drink by stipulating that, where possible, food served at civic meetings or receptions is produced locally. The policy also outlines provision for dietary choice.

Ashford Festival & Events Framework

The Cabinet adopted an updated Ashford Festival & Events Framework. The framework sets out the key themes, challenges and actions the council will take to support the delivery of festivals and events in the borough. The framework is designed to deliver the goals set out in the Borough Plan 2024-28. The framework includes:

• A proposal to continue and grow the Community Event Grant fund, with an increased annual allocation of £20,000. The maximum amount that larger events can apply for will be increased to £5,000. The fund will be moved to the core budget rather than being funded from reserves.
• The establishment of a cross-party Civic Events Advisory Committee, to champion civic and ceremonial events in the borough.
• Continued support for Ashford Food & Drink Festival, Create Music Village, and Carnival of the Baubles. £100,000 will be provided for these events through Section 106 funding, with a target of £15,000 to be raised from sponsorship and other income.
• An allocation of £65,000 from reserves, over three years, to support the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and Ashford’s hosting of a civic twinning visit in 2027. The framework notes that:

It has been proven and acknowledged through the delivery of festivals and events in Ashford over the past 3 years that they bring about significant positive impacts to the area – which help improve people’s lives, creates opportunities, stimulates the local economy, and develops levels of understanding between different communities and cultures.

Appointment of Directors

The Cabinet approved the appointment of Mrs Tracey Butler and Mr Lee Foreman to the board of Stour Environmental Credits Ltd. The company was set up to acquire and manage nutrient mitigation credits for housing developments within the River Stour catchment. It will be jointly owned by Ashford Borough Council and Canterbury City Council.