Free news coverage of Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge Boroughs from Southborough in Kent in England – since 2016!
A veteran performer on the stage of the Royal Victoria Hall has made a new appeal for it to be saved - rather than demolished - and has listed six "special attributes" the theatre possesses. Derek Holland told Southborough News "The acoustics of the Royal Victoria Hall are better than any theatre I have played …
Continue reading Six Reasons to Save the “Superb” Royal Victoria Hall
In a significant setback to existing proposals for the Southborough Hub development, Sport England have told planners they are making an "outright objection" to the application due to the loss of playing fields used by the local soccer teams. The report by Sport England appeared on Monday morning on the Tunbridge Wells Planning website. (NB This …
Continue reading Sport England says “No” to Hub building plans
The Southborough Councillors who've spent the past year developing plans for the Southborough Hub are unlikely to be swayed by the balance of comments submitted by the public to the planning authority. As of Saturday afternoon, 82 per cent of comments were opposed to the scheme, with 103 objectors and 23 supporters. But Peter Oakford, …
Continue reading “Vibrant Focal Point” or “Plastic Lunch Box”?
As of Saturday morning, with the official deadline for comments to the Tunbridge Wells Planning website passed, opponents of the Hub scheme were in a clear lead with 82 per cent of neighbour comments opposed to the scheme. At 1.00pm on Saturday, the tally was 103 comments against, with 23 in favour. Comments emailed on …
The planning team in Tunbridge Wells says it would welcome the public providing evidence of the historical value of the Royal Victoria Hall. Currently, the Hall, which opened in 1900, is deemed by the planners to have no historic value at all, as it is not on the list of the Borough's Local Heritage Assets. …
Continue reading Planners Want Evidence from Public that Royal Victoria Hall has Historic Value
The architect Ptolemy Dean, who co-presented BBC2's popular "Restoration" series, has studied the planned Southborough Hub scheme and condemned it as "poor". Mr Dean told Southborough News: "I think it is a shame that the replacement scheme is so poor, when something more thoughtful and careful might have been created that incorporated the existing building, …
Continue reading TV Architect Ptolemy Dean Condemns Hub Design as “Poor”
The prospect of a new library for Southborough has been described by Kent County Council as "an exciting moment" for the community. James Pearson, who's the Strategic Manager for Business Development at the KCC Libraries, Registration and Archive service, told Southborough News that the new library will be slightly bigger than the existing facility, with …
The statutory body that oversees Britain's theatres says it is "concerned" about the design of the big new "Hub" development in Southborough. The Theatres Trust has sent a submission to the planning authority asking for a more detailed plan of the new planned library area in the "Hub" to ensure it is big enough to …
Continue reading Theatre Experts are “Concerned” About Southborough Hub Plans
Council officials are to carry out surveys of the parking situation in Pennington Road, after it was discovered that commuters from outside the area may be using the free parking facilities there to catch a daily coach service to London. Opinion from local people is being sought on the possibility of a parking zone for …
Continue reading Parking Zone May Be Way Forward in Pennington Road
Plans to demolish Southborough's 116 year-old Royal Victoria Hall Theatre and create a new hub of public buildings have been sent to the planners but only five members of the public have responded with comments so far. The application opened for submissions three weeks ago on 19th August, but many residents were away on holiday …
Continue reading Apathy as Royal Victoria Hall set for demolition
