An online meeting to discuss plans for a new community centre threatens to be 'window-dressing' if residents cannot take part effectively, a councillor has warned.

People living in Kennington will tomorrow have a chance to hear about future plans for a new community space to replace the building which was demolished in April 2019.

It cost Ashford Borough Council (ABC) £150,000 to demolish the Bockhanger Community Centre, which had stood for more than 50 years and was once home to a nursery and library.

But one councillor says the decision to invite locals to take part via Microsoft Teams risks ignoring the views of those without the technical capabilities to join the event.

"I do worry that this ‘consultation’ will feel to many residents more like a ‘presentation’ by ABC to a limited number of people rather than a genuine opportunity for a two-way mass participation, " Cllr Diccon Spain said.

"All residents, of all ages, situations, and levels of technology ability - who it must be remembered have paid council tax for years for facilities that were taken away from them when the old Bockhanger community hall was demolished - deserve a real opportunity to contribute to, be heard, and to actually influence what new facilities are provided on the Bockhanger Square site.

"Anything less than this is unacceptable and this 'consultation' will be viewed by many residents as window-dressing for decisions that will appear to have already been made without them."

The decision to tear down the Bockhanger Community Centre without any plans to replace the facilities drew an angry backlash from people living in the area.

A petition, which was signed by more than 1,700 people, urged the council to commit to building a "bigger and better community centre of the highest quality".

Plans for a community meeting to discuss the way forward had to be abandoned because of the spread of coronavirus in the spring of 2020.

Now the event will finally go ahead online tomorrow evening at 5pm.

A spokesman for ABC said: "This is a revised version of the public consultation event that was due to be held at the Phoenix Community Primary School on March 14, 2020, that had to be cancelled at the last moment due to growing concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The virtual consultation will pick up from where things were left and discuss the next steps. The event is organised by Ashford Borough Council and Kennington Community Council.

"The Bockhanger consultation event is not the only way the public can comment and feedback to Ashford Borough Council regarding the information that will be shared at the virtual event. The event is being recorded and will be available to view, along with presentation slides, speaker notes and a short survey, within a few days of today’s event.

"When requested we are also happy to share this information in printed form and we have a dedicated email to which feedback can be shared – email us at bockhanger.engagement@ashford.gov.uk

"This is a major project and there will be a lot of information to absorb and digest, and to reflect this the public consultation will be open until October 31."

To join the meeting on Microsoft Teams from 4.45pm on Wednesday, click here

Read more: All the latest news from Ashford