30/06/2025
Village centre update
This is just one of the sights we sadly see everyday in the village centre and we want to reassure you that we believe it is totally unacceptable that our village centre is in this state and we are doing everything in our power to get improvements made.
The shopping centre is privately owned by New Ash Green Ltd and managed by KMP Solutions. We have absolutely no jurisdiction over the private owners or KMP, their contracts with business owners or the way they run the centre.
However, we do care deeply about this village, so we do everything we can think of to achieve change. Some of the things we have done include:
- Creating a Vision document to showcase what our community wants from the centre and relaying that to KMP
- Building a petition, which has over 1000 signatures, to lobby KMP to regenerate the centre (https://www.change.org/p/regenerate-new-ash-green-shopping-centre)
- Lobbied our KCC member for support
- Met with KMP to explain the impact on the community that our dilapidated centre is having
- Liaised with Sevenoaks Council and police about what support they can provide to ensure KMP deal with health and safety, anti social behaviour and aesthetic issues
- Supported KMP's funding application so we would finally see some significant improvements to the centre (this has been rejected by Sevenoaks Council)
- Approached Totally Locally for support reviving our high street
- Put Co Op in touch with KMP to use their influence to create change
We have had some small wins including:
- Leaky ceilings fixed
- New "No cycling" and CCTV signs
- Disabled parking bays re-painted
- Extra seating added
- Repairs to broken tiles on steps
- Toilets being renovated
But the repairs aren't up to the standard we expect and we continue to call for a multitude of much needed improvements including:
- Bigger bins
- Canopy repairs
- Re-paint
- Repairs to footpaths
- Replacement flooring on Upper Street
- Decent repairs to boarding and window frames that isn't just rough, unfinished chipboard!
We are always open to feedback and ideas and welcome any that you have. If there is anything you want us to stop, start or continue in this plight, please do tell us!
