Tom Jenkins | Economic Development Manager
Ashford Borough Council

Tom leads Ashford Borough Council’s strategic work on digital infrastructure, championing the policies and partnerships needed to deliver high‑quality connectivity across the borough. Alongside economic growth, town centre management and tourism, his role includes enabling full fibre and mobile deployment through proactive planning policy, streamlined processes, and strong collaboration with network operators. Tom has helped shape Ashford’s approach to wayleaves for the council's housing, working to remove deployment barriers and ensure that residents and developers benefit from future‑proof digital connectivity. He works closely with planning colleagues to embed broadband and digital requirements into local policy, ensuring that digital infrastructure is treated as a core utility and a foundation for sustainable growth. He also coordinates a multi‑disciplinary forum bringing together planning, housing, property, IT, and external infrastructure partners to accelerate rollout, resolve delivery issues, and create a consistent, borough‑wide approach to digital enablement. With a background in economic development and place‑making, Tom's work sits at the intersection of digital policy, infrastructure delivery, and local growth—helping ensure that Ashford remains an attractive, connected, and future‑ready place for residents, businesses, and investors.