Some 50 new jobs are set to be created in Ashford after councillors approved plans for a new light maintenance train depot at Chart Leacon.

Planning committee members last week backed Network Rail's application for the former Bombardier Transportation Ltd site in Beaver Lane, which has stood empty for more than five years.

Southeastern trains displaced from the town's Hitachi depot as a result of the £7 billion Thameslink programme will be housed at the new stabling yard – in short, a place to park trains between uses.

Agent Leonie Oliva explained at last Wednesday's meeting: "This [facility] must be in Ashford to provide the most sustainable and effective operational arrangement.

"A failure to provide an appropriate long-term solution for the displaced Southeastern trains would compromise the ability to provide a punctual, clean and efficient service on routes across Kent.

"This is not something any rail user would want to see happen.

"As such, the stabling is a vital piece of infrastructure."

The development will see existing buildings demolished and replaced with an office for approximately 50 employees, 36 parking spaces, and changes to the five siding tracks.

Only the sidings are earmarked for development by Network Rail, with the rest of the site set to remain mothballed.

But the decision is likely to be challenged by the landowner after it claimed not to have been consulted by Network Rail, nor have compulsory purchase order proceedings been lodged by the public body.

A letter from Bellamile Limited's lawyers reads: "Bellamile has no intention of permitting Network Rail's development to proceed on its land without first exhausting all of its legal rights and challenge options as site owners."

But the planning committee was told the threat of a legal challenge should not influence the decision of whether to grant planning permission, and councillors unanimously supported the application.

Council leader and non-voting member Cllr Gerry Clarkson (Con) added: "It is absolutely essential these are brought back into use, and it does provide those engineering jobs for predominantly local people."

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