Students, councilors, builders and education representatives celebrated the placing of the final structural beam on the new Ashford College building at the topping out ceremony.

Work on the site on Elwick Road started earlier this year after planning permission was granted in October 2015.

Topping out is a traditional ceremony where building contractors place an evergreen for good luck at the top of the building, symbolising near completion.

Paul Dubrow, chair of governors at Ashford College attached the laurel to the final beam and Rev. John MacKenzie of Ashford Church of England Parish blessed the building.

Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, deputy chief executive of The Hadlow Group, the company who will run the college said during the ceremony: "This is quite an emotional day I think for the senior staff but also for the governors and the board and I just wanted to say on behalf of our organisation, thank you.

"What we're doing it for is the students, your children, the children of the future, and those people who are studying at Ashford College Jemmett Road that are going to move here this September and giving them those life chances for many, many years they may not have had."

The development will give young people the opportunity to stay closer in Ashford to study, rather than travel miles outside of the town for their education like hundreds currently do.

The college will be in close proximity of the town centre and Elwick Place development, potentially enhancing the use of the new leisure and entertainment facilities once open.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, leader of Ashford Borough Council said: "The delivery of this new, magnificent college will place a significant part in supporting the improved educational provision in Ashford, improving the prosperity for both residents and businesses alike and support a strong future economy within the area.

"We've got to make Ashford an inspirational town. Today marks a significant milestone in the delivery of one of the council's Big 8 projects and I am pleased to see this project coming forward.

"These key projects will unlock major opportunities for Ashford as the most internationally connected town in the United Kingdom.

"Whilst there are other key developments coming forward, none are more important than this college.

"We've got a highly skilled local workforce, it's going to be vital for our development. That is not there at the moment, and this college will help drive and build those skills.

"This college is right in the heart of the town. It is an iconic building. This is a borough that's got magnificent opportunities, and this is the first one coming to fruition."

MP Damian Green said: "I think there are two big significance's today. One is the symbol of a college building in the Town Centre means that Education in Ashford will get much better.

"We'll have a much better and wider offer of top level vocational education for young people in and around Ashford but also it's a huge boost for the town centre because in a years time when this building is full of students, there will be thousands of young people in and around the town centre, five days a week. We need to help transform the high street and the surrounding area.

"I think [the students] will be inspired by the fact that it's a new building, it will be state of the art facilities so it will be very attractive, and also the fact it's so easy to get to. I think it will be overflowing with applications."

Chris Burden, construction manager for BAM South East said: "We're now liaising internally with the college department heads now to do the final tweaks to the different rooms. It's getting an understanding of what the college overall wants.

"Now we've got the building watertight, we're now closing the building in with the rendering starting hopefully within the next couple of weeks.

"Finishing is starting now, it will go through until Christmas and then we'll commission and move on. So in February, we'll hand over a full finished wonderful building."

The company have involved sub-contractors from Kent to create the building.

The project has cost £26 million with a large amount of the cost being covered by Ashford Borough Council.