The Government has announced that all Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), including SEEDA, will close by 31 March 2012.
Responsibility for economic development and regeneration in England is being passed onto successor bodies, including Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and central Government departments
Our objective is to ensure a professional and cost effective closure by this date. We have pledged to work closely with our partners, contractors and stakeholders to ensure that the past and future economic benefits of key programmes and assets continue to deliver the greatest economic value for the South East and value for money for the taxpayer.
Please click here for more details about our closure plan, transition arrangements and successor organisations.
In action: Kent and Medway: Key activities: Ashford
Since the introduction of the Sustainable Communities Plan in 2003, SEEDA worked with partners to bring about a renaissance of Ashford town centre by securing a number of key regeneration sites which will assist in the creation of 28,000 new jobs and 31,000 new homes by 2031.
With growth area funding provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and utilising its own funding resources, SEEDA secured a total of 8.4 hectares of land and buildings which will play a significant role in bringing forward new business floorspace and homes in the short to medium term.
Objective:
To create 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs over 30 years.
Significance to the region:
Ashford has long been identified as the "Growth Town of Kent". However it has only been recognised by Central Government since the publication of the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) in March 2001, when it was formally noted as one of four areas within the South East region where significant growth would be encouraged.
Organisations including SEEDA, Kent County Council, the Homes & Communities Agency and Ashford Borough Council joined together with other key stakeholders, to create the Ashford's Future Partnership Board to put in place the targets set within the Sustainable Communities Plan and in 2008, and established the Ashford’s Future Company Ltd to co-ordinate and deliver these targets.
The Ashford's Future Partnership Board adopted the approach that growth needs to come from the centre out, with improved links between the existing town centre and the International Passenger Station, therefore determining SEEDA’s site acquisition strategy.
SEEDA focussed on two principle projects: -
Elwick Place
With a substantial frontage to Ashford’s new shared space scheme, this development has the ability to deliver circa 50,000 m² of new floorspace including shops, leisure, business space and new homes. Having selected, in consultation with its partners, Stanhope plc as its preferred development partner in 2008, SEEDA worked with the developer to complete a comprehensive master plan for the entire site leading to the submission of a planning application for the new development in the near future.
Dover Place
SEEDA took the lead to develop a comprehensive masterplan for this important area sitting between the stations and the existing town centre. Identified as the new Commercial Quarter for the town, this area has the potential of delivering, on a phased basis, some 70,000 m² of new floorspace with the focus on offices, in the medium term.
The Commercial Quarter will be extremely important for Ashford going forward and its delivery is closely linked with the new highspeed domestic rail services to London (37 minutes) whose introduction has had a massive impact on the sub region making Ashford a very smart choice as a place to live and work.
For further information please contact the Homes & Communities Agency
