Key Facts
Ashford is the fastest growing town between London
and continental Europe, which is expected to double by 2031. It has
a flexible and motivated workforce of around 46,000 and 5,000
businesses.
Ashford is fast becoming a thriving economic and
commercial centre drawing commuters from a catchment population of
1.2 million within a 60-minute drive.
As an area, the Gross Value Added is over £1.5
million. Ashford enjoys a strategic position, being at the
hub of the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail link to London with excellent
European road and sea connections.
Growing industries include wholesale and retail,
construction, transport and distribution and business services.
Combined with an impressive multi-million pound investment in
infrastructure and public facilities, Ashford is attracting a
strong trend of business
development.
The table below provides key facts
on Ashford's current position.
|
Area
|
|
|
Population
|
111,000 (2005)
Population change (1981-2003) 21.8%
|
|
Workforce
|
46,000
Economic activity rate 83%
|
|
Access to potential employees within a drive
time distance
|
20 minutes – 70,000
40 minutes – 534,000
60 minutes – 1.2 million
|
|
Unemployment
|
1.5% (Jan 2007)
|
|
Labour costs
|
20% less than London
10% lower than the rest of the South East
|
|
Headline companies
|
Brakes, Coty Rimmel UK Ltd, Eurostar, Givaudan (formerly Quest International UK Ltd),
Hitachi.
|
|
Number of companies
|
5,000
|
|
Key sectors
|
Wholesale and retail, construction, transport
and distribution and business services.
|
|
Education (schools)
|
50 (+ 3 specialist)
|
|
Golf courses / shopping
|
Chart Hills
Ashford Designer Outlet (3 million
visitors)
County Square (£65 million extension)
|
|
Travel road times to airports
|
93 minutes to Heathrow, around one hour to
Gatwick.
|
|
Air fact
|
Two Kent airports at Lydd (London Ashford
Airport) and Manston (Kent International Airport).
|
|
CTRL fact (freight)
|
Carries 110 to 120 million tonnes per year of
operation.
|
|
Eurostar fact (passenger)
|
57 minutes to Lille
37 Minutes to London (2009)
|
|
Port fact (freight)
|
2.3 million freight vehicles a year
(Dover)
|
|
Port fact (passenger)
|
Over 13 million passengers a year and two
cruise terminals.
|
|
Access time to universities
|
5 within one hour
|
|
Consumer access to London / Europe
|
360 million
|
|
Property fact (office rents)
|
68% less than London
|