Free news coverage of Southborough and Tunbridge Wells in Kent in England – 100,000 page views since 2016!
Five Liberal Democrats defied their party leaders at a full council council meeting on Wednesday tonight and failed to back the leadership's decision to halt work on setting up a Town Council for Tunbridge Wells. But the Lib Dem leadership still won the vote 18-15. Leader Ben Chapelard (pictured below) had surprised the town by …
Continue reading Mini-Rebellion By Liberal Democrat Councillors
The Victoria Snooker Centre in Tunbridge Wells says it now accepts that it only has 5 months left in its ornate Victorian home, the Friendly Societies' Hall in Camden Road (pictured below). But the club appears more hopeful of getting the council's help in finding a new home in the town, with Mike Martin MP …
Continue reading Snooker Club Admits Defeat in its Battle to Stay at Historic Home
The Tunbridge Wells Town Forum has condemned a lack of consultation by the Liberal Democrat-controlled Borough Council after news that the Borough plans to abruptly stop work on forming the Town Council. A motion will be put before a meeting of the Borough Council next week to order a pause to the process. The Town …
Continue reading Shock as Lib Dems Halt Tunbridge Wells Town Council
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has given more details of the case for its £ 27 million project to update the Palm Court area of the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre ahead of a scrutiny meeting on Monday. But concerns remain that the council will not get the returns it expects, creating a risk that council …
Continue reading First Half of Huge Council Shopping Centre Loan Nears Approval
Local Liberal Democrats were cheered this week by their victory by 107 votes in a council by-election for Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden. The Lib Dems got 37% of the votes, increasing their overall majority on the recently reprieved Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The Lib Dems now have 26 seats against a combined opposition on the …
Continue reading Lib Dems Win Cranbrook By-Election to Cement Control of Borough Council
A development of 125 homes to the south of Tunbridge Wells at Ramslye Farm has been approved by Tunbridge Wells Borough Councillors. The decision was described as "a really, really bad step" by campaigners concerned about the shortage of water in the town. A local group also argued there were multiple errors in the application …
Continue reading Water Campaigners Dismay Over Approval for More Homes on Local Fields
Escalating costs involved in restructuring local councils in Kent could mean the changes never happen. A shock announcement last Monday 7th September by the Labour government put on "pause" plans to abolish both Kent County Council and all the existing Borough Councils - with no timetable to resume the process. Indeed, it was announced that …
Continue reading “Shambles” as Labour’s Local Council Changes “Paused”
Way back on 3rd March 2019, I published one of my most successful blogs. It was about the history of the road I live in: Pennington Road. If you missed it, do click on this link:https://southborough-news.com/2019/03/03/wanted-old-news-about-pennington-road/ I followed it up with an article about the history of Brooklands School that was once a stunning building …
Continue reading Still Wanted! Any More News About Pennington Road?
Just hours after Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council voted against taking forward a Local Plan based on Labour's new housing targets, the council were overruled by the government. The housing minister sent a letter to council leader, ordering the local council to put the plan forward for public consultation anyway. Council leader Matt Boughton said: …
A council meeting in Tonbridge and Malling has refused to progress with a plan to build the 20,000 new homes demanded by the Labour government, but the decision was then immediately overruled by the government. The vote to pause the Local Plan was described as "irresponsible" by the Liberal Democrat group. But Conservative councillor, Sarah …
