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FAQs

If you cannot find the answer you are looking for, please contact us for additional help.

1) How can you help my company?

The contact numbers given will connect you through to:

Locate in Kent – for relocation and expansion queries.
Ashford Borough Council – for detailed information on the planning regulations and the range of sites available.
Ashford’s Future – for overall information on the growth programme for Ashford.

Ashford’s experienced team of professionals are available to assist companies in finding the right solution for your business and have an extensive network of other contacts which they can call upon where needed.

2) Is financial assistance available for companies investing or expanding in Ashford?

Yes, a range of financial assistance is available from loans to grants. Regional selective assistance grants are available for small and medium sized enterprises in the borough of Ashford up to a maximum of £140,000. You should contact us for further details.

3) What is the average cost of renting office space in Ashford?

New office rents are currently £17 per sq ft – up to 70% cheaper than Central London and there is 2 million sq ft of planned commercial development in Ashford. See how Ashford compares with other towns by viewing the Cost Competitive page.

4) What universities are accessible from Ashford?

There are 5 universities - University of Greenwich, University of Kent at Canterbury, Imperial College, Wye, University College for the Creative Arts and Canterbury Christ Church University College. Between them they offer a wide range of courses, specialisms and university research from a large number of locations across Kent - not just their five main locations. Please visit our Education and Training section for more information.

5) What is the population and workforce of Ashford?

The population within the town of Ashford is expected to double from 55,000 to 110,000 over the next 25 years. Already the borough of Ashford is home to 46,000 employees and 70,000 workers within a 20 minute drive of the town centre. Please see our Workforce Overview page for further details.

The population of the borough of Ashford is approximately 111,000 due to reach 160,000 by 2031.

6) How well connected is Ashford for transport links?

Road - Ashford has direct access to the major motorways M20 and M2. Major improvements to Junction 10 of the M20 were completed in 2007. Other improvements to Junction 9 of the M20 and nearby Drovers Roundabout, Newtown Road and Victoria Way are also planned.
Rail - Domestic services on the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail link to London will connect Ashford with London in just 37 minutes from 2009, cutting travel time in half. Paris can be reached in 2 hours while Lille is 57 minutes away from the Eurostar International Station. Freight and passenger traffic passes through Eurotunnel’s departure point at nearby Folkestone.
Air - Ashford offers ready access to London’s 2 main airports – Heathrow and Gatwick – around 90 minutes. The local airports of Ashford London Airport at Lydd and Kent International Airport at Manston are both improving their excellent facilities.
Sea – the Port of Dover is within easy reach of Ashford – some 30 minutes away.

To find out more about transport links to and from Ashford, see the Connectivity page.

7) Which large, well known companies are located in Ashford?

Major global and European corporations are located in Ashford include Givaudan (formerly Quest International), Coty Rimmel UK Ltd, Maruwa, and Hitachi. With the considerable redevelopment of the town and increased expansion of the business parks, Ashford is becoming a magnet for local and national businesses and research and development occupiers. See the Business Overview page for more information.

8) What have companies who have relocated to Ashford said about their experience?

View examples within our case studies section.