A taxpayer-funded magazine sent to every household in the Ashford borough is set to become a permanent fixture.

Council leader Cllr Gerry Clarkson (Con) hinted the 24-page quarterly Ashford For You will outlive its initial one-year trial at last week's cabinet meeting.

Two magazines containing “what’s going on in the local area, profiling services, people and places” have been published to date, with the authority allocating up to £95,000 for the initial project.

Cllr Clarkson suggested the publication has enabled the council to communicate with every corner of the borough, especially the villages.

He said: “I think the introduction of the quarterly magazine was very good, and that’s proved to be hugely successful.

“This cabinet will have a report shortly that we proceed because it was only a year’s trial.

'It’s quite colourful – it’s not about politics, it’s about what’s going on....' - Gerry Clarkson

“It’s been hugely popular and, of course, it’s going through the door of every house in the borough. It’s quite colourful – it’s not about politics, it’s about what’s going on – and it’s been very well received.”

Ashford Borough Council has previously acknowledged other authorities have ditched paper-based publications as a result of the costs involved, as well the change in how people engage with local government.

A statement published earlier this year read: “While we know many residents use digital methods of communications, such as our website and social media channels, we do not reach every household this way.”

Some 56,000 magazines are distributed each quarter through their letterbox.

The winter edition is to be sent out from Monday.