"Ashford Voice" Analysis Part I

During the heavy duty Christmas season I had the opportunity to peruse the Ashford Voice.

A free magazine "full of features on living, working and enjoying life in Ashford and surrounding communities".

Also known as council propaganda.

Let's do a break down by contents headline;

News in Brief

An overview of various council schemes with persuasive language.

For example, The Parking Services Annual Report, where the article states "proposed future initiatives include an innovative system which could see motorists paying for parking with mobile phones".

I would hazard a guess that the translation: parking will be increasingly monitored through mobile phone payments plus they can review the potential for congestion charges and the integral and unreasonably conspiratorial "Future Core Team" of Ashford development.

Victoria Way Green Light.

Brilliant, another road to congest Ashford's over subscribed traffic and town centre. And it is costing 17 million pounds. I am sure this is a further example of ringfenced monies, but perhaps the council can explain to residents of sheltered accomodation why they can build a new road but cannot provide wardens? Or perhaps they can inform the residents of the Churchyard why they cannot afford lighting to remove the threats of ASB or a new CCTV camera? I could go on.

Council to Build Afforable Homes.

Where? Oh, on the site of a Sheltered Accommodation unit in Kennignton, while squeezing some more residents into the over populated expanse of Willesborough. And the council tenants awaiting housing who have to live in hostels and B&Bs? Oh no, ABC have a conception of rich young families moving from London to get the Hitachi line to work wanting affordable housing. Dear ABC, please quanitfy “affordable” while in the same magazine you write an article on how the Salvation Army protect and aid those who are homeless at Christmas. Oh, look, there is no available report on Ashford's performance.

Now, other than the news that the new high speed rail line is up and running in Ashford, every other piece of Ashford News is council related. What about the news that our custody suite is being rendered useless? What about the State of the Borough Debate and the highlighted issues? What about the various charities running fundraising initiatives around the borough?

It is clear Ashford Borough Council do not want people's opinions and concerns to matter, just continuous promotion of their alleged good services.

Part II Coming Very Soon