Panel to provide design advice

Large building projects in Ashford will now be offered help and advice from a panel of local architectural experts.

The Regional Design Panel will be able to offer advice to planning committee members and developers for approving and improving the design of major building projects in the town.

The five person panel will include a chair, two local designers and two designers drawn from a regional pool dependent on their specific area of expertise.

The panel will not have any decision making powers but will play an important advisory role in raising the overall quality of planning applications and driving up design standards.

Richard Alderton, Head of Planning and Development at Ashford Borough Council, said: "The design quality agenda has many strands and the Council's overall track record is good.

"However there is still more to do and a skilled Design Panel, firmly grounded in the issues facing Ashford, is a key component."