Permission granted for extension of temporary car park in Elwick Road Ashford

A temporary car park which was created on disused land in Elwick Road in 2017 to serve Ashford town centre has been granted an extension for a further three years.

The facility is on land between the railway line, a Southeastern-operated car park and the Elwick Place cinema, hotel and leisure development. An application to extend its use was approved by Ashford Borough Council’s Planning committee last night (6 May).

The virtual committee meeting heard that the council originally created the car park to replace some of the spaces lost when the Connect 38 office complex was built in nearby Dover Place. It also provides parking for the Ashford College campus, which is opposite the entrance to the car park.

It contains approximately 100 spaces including disabled parking, motorbike parking and bicycle racks for commuters.

Councillors heard part of the land currently being used for the Elwick Road car park sits within an adjacent site on the north-western side of the car park which has an approved outline permission for up to 200 homes that was granted in 2019. An application for reserved matters approval to take forward the fine detail of that scheme has not yet been received.

Elwick Road car park is a long stay car park that is open 24/7. The charges are in line with other council-run car parks. For information on all our town centre car parks visit www.ashford.gov.uk/ashford-town-parking