People in Southborough and High Brooms were being asked vote “yes” in a vote on the town’s Neighbourhood Development Plan to endorse many years of hard work by local volunteers in putting it together.
The referendum took place on Thursday 18th June 2026 and 1,194 votes were cast in favour and 152 against. The turnout was 15.2%, given a total electorate of 8,897 people.
All towns and parishes are encouraged to adopt such a plan to ensure future housing development is sympathetic to local heritage, to maintain access to the countryside and to improve cycling and walking routes.
A seven minute interview explaining the referendum is available now on the YouTube Southborough News channel which you can view on computers or watch on most modern TVs. Here is the link:
https://youtu.be/cNV7pOFTLkY
In the interview, the Chair of the Southborough and High Brooms Neighbourhood Development Plan, Nicholas Woollett, explains: “What we are looking for is a nice positive result. Please go out and vote: YES.”
Nicholas Woollett (pictured below) continued: “We now have the power to ensure the Borough Council really takes account of what is in the report.”
Nicholas Woollett paid tribute to all the many people who have put hours of work into the project including an expert consultant, Alison Eardley.
He said the Neighbourhood Development Plans arose from national legislation put forward by the former MP for Tunbridge Wells Greg Clark.
The plan – if endorsed by the referendum – will help protect local heritage buildings and views like the one below of the area known locally as “the south of France” looking at Holden Road.
Another view with extra protection is that down the “Hilly Fields” in Pennington Road – shown below:
The Southborough and High Brooms Neighbourhood Development Plan is available to view on this link:
Southborough News 