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The controversial plan by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to take on large debts to build new council offices and a theatre stands a strong chance of being cancelled soon, despite last week’s inconclusive special council meeting. The fate of the £90million project is now in the hands of a group of ten Conservative councillors who …
Continue reading Cancellation of £90m Calverley Project Predicted “Within Two Months”
At a packed special meeting of the Borough Council on Monday night it was agreed to stop all new spending on the planned Tunbridge Wells council offices and theatre. There has been widespread public concern that the new civic centre would have led to the council into a heavy burden of debt. Estimated borrowing would …
Continue reading Conservatives Agree to Pause Calverley Square Theatre Plan
The Southborough Society has chosen Diana Blackwell as its new Chair, after she impressed members with her recent work on modernising the Society’s website and social media offerings. The Society held its Annual General Meeting last Thursday (23rd May), which ended with the election of Diana Blackwell (pictured below), who has spent the last two …
Southborough Town Council met last week for the first time following May’s local elections and installed Cllr Alain Lewis from the Labour Party as the Town’s new Mayor and Chair of the Council. Labour is now the largest single party on the Town Council, following the slump in support for the Conservatives as reported in …
Continue reading Labour’s Alain Lewis is New Mayor of Southborough
Liberal Democrat Trevor Poile has returned to the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council by defeating his Conservative opponent, Cllr David Elliott, in Southborough North. Cllr Poile (pictured below) previously represented the same ward for 12 years between 1994 and 2007. He told Southborough News: “This win is particularly special as I have come back as a …
Continue reading Trevor Poile is Back on Borough Council for Southborough After 12 Years Away
The plan by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to borrow £90million to build new council offices and theatre in the town is on the brink of collapse after a devastating set of local election results for the ruling Conservative Group. The leader of the Borough Council, David Jukes, lost his seat of Speldhurst and Bidborough. And …
There has been a heavy defeat for the Conservatives on Southborough Town Council, putting Labour in charge of the new council with support from Liberal Democrats. But it seems to be too late to make any major changes to the Southborough Hub plans. Labour's Nick Blackwell (below) told Southborough News that he was overwhelmed by …
Continue reading Conservatives Defeated Heavily on Town Council but “too late” to stop Hub
Southborough residents only get a chance to vote for their representatives on the Town Council once every four years and that big day is coming soon - Thursday 2nd May. The Conservatives currently have a big majority on the Town Council and they have used their time in power to press ahead with plans to …
The National Trust's Emmetts Garden is only 20 minutes drive from Southborough and its exotic shrubs are currently displaying magnificent springtime colours to energise local gardeners. In contrast to this weekend's sadly overcast weather, a fortnight ago (see below) the sun was shining brightly on Emmetts Garden, which is one of the highest spots in …
Continue reading Emmetts Garden Provides Springtime Inspiration for Gardeners
Southborough has a rich history to celebrate and on this blog over the coming year I hope to uncover first hand memories of how people lived in the town over the past 150 years. In the past decade it has become much easier to trace the names and occupations of the people who lived in …
