Tag: tunbridge-wells

Demolition Likely for Historic Corner of Camden Road

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The Borough Council says it wants to spend up to £ 68 million of taxpayers money on new buildings including a three-screen “boutique” cinema in the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

The development plans would also see the end of the Victoria Snooker Centre in Camden Road which has hosted exhibition games featuring famous names like Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The Tunbridge Wells Borough Council plans are part of its efforts to revive the struggling Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre, which it now owns.

The corner of Camden Road and the pedestrianised part of Calverley Road would be demolished and transformed into the modernist design shown below:

The corner was occupied by White Stuff chain in 2012 (see below) before the area was allowed to become derelict.

The Liberal Democrat-run council says it has worked with the community to “reimagine Royal Victoria Place as a more vibrant mixed-use destination, bringing together shopping, food and beverage, community leisure spaces and new homes.”

Six years ago a major development scheme devised by the then Conservative-run council to build a new theatre in Tunbridge Wells was abandoned after a rebellion by the party’s own councillors who thought the £100 million scheme would be a huge financial burden on council tax payers.

The council aims to get planning permission for the new scheme (see below) by the summer and get full council approval to go ahead by the autumn.

The scheme’s plans to demolish the Victoria Snooker Centre were reported on by the BBC’s Phil Harrison in December.

Jerome Bowman, who is campaigning to save the centre told the BBC: “Losing the club would mean losing a vital community hub, local heritage, a place to play one of Britain’s most popular sports and a place filled with shared memories.”

Read more here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5q64zq791o

Details of a petition to save the snooker club – signed so far by 4,700 people – are here:
https://c.org/wDcWGyb9Hv

The facade of the Camden Road entrance to the snooker centre will be retained (see plans below), but everything behind it will be demolished.

The outside currently looks as shown below:

The snooker centre is the current occupier of the Friendly Societies Building designed in 1877, which is a key part of the town’s history.

The elephant heads either side of the door are part of the coat of arms of the Camden family, which was involved in the development of the town in the 1850s. Pictures of the ornate ceilings on the inside of the snooker centre – which will be lost – are shown below.

This was the council’s response to the question: Why not simply refurbish the current buildings?

“The Council has carefully considered whether refurbishment alone would be viable. However, the existing buildings cannot accommodate key elements of the proposed scheme – including the much-in-demand town centre cinema – without substantial alteration. As a result, parts of the buildings, particularly to the rear, would need to be removed to allow the new uses to be delivered while retaining and restoring the historic Camden Road frontage of the Friendly Societies Building.”

The developers say their scheme will: “draw on local materials, proportions and detailing to reinforce the town’s distinctive identity while delivering active frontages at ground and first floor and retaining important historic features.”

The council says a cinema would “respond to long-standing demand”, make efficient use of a constrained site and will boost the “top of town’s evening economy.” The cinema would be located above five new “family-focussed” restaurants.

Its statement argues that: “income from new tenants, as well as other sources such as car parking and business rates, will help repay the government loan funding the scheme, helping to protect the council’s investment.”

Meanwhile another part of the development, Palm Court, is also set for a big changes to its appearance (shown below):

The developers say: “A new covered roof will enclose the existing atrium void – a contemporary interpretation of the Victorian Palm House structures that inspired the space’s name.”

The council statement continues: “The former basement food court will be repurposed as a new anchor leisure destination linked directly to the new cinema and restaurants. Additional community-focused leisure space could also be delivered to the north of the site, with an entrance and active frontage onto Market Square.”

The latest consultation lasts just 10 days. Plans are available for viewing at the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre (between iStore and Kent Relief, a few doors down from Primark) between March 12th and March 23rd. More details at this site:
https://rvpfuture.com/

Planning experts will be available to answer questions on: Friday, March 13 from 2pm to 5pm; Saturday, March 14, from 10am to 2pm; and Saturday, March 21, from 10am to 2pm.

The council says more than 800 people took part in the first phase of engagement on development of the “Ely Court” and “Palm Court” areas. There were 434 detailed feedback responses. This compares with 4,600 people who say they want the Snooker Hall retained.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council bought back the lease for the shopping centre from British Land in 2023. The Council says it has already made progress in reducing vacancies and attracting new businesses, including Søstrene Grene and Primark. 

New School Entrance Test at Weald of Kent

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A state Grammar School in Tonbridge says it’s improving access for girls whose parents can’t afford to pay for tutors to coach the Kent County Council 11-plus test.

Weald of Kent Grammar School is to introduce its own entrance test, which will sit alongside the Kent Test as an equally valid route of entry to the school.

Weald of Kent Grammar School opened a so-called “satellite annexe” in Sevenoaks in 2017 to accomodate 450 girls. In the sixth firm, the school admits boys and girls.

The school says the new assessment has been designed to test girls only on content covered in state primary schools up to the end of Year 5. Many local state primary schools apparently don’t teach maths to the level required for the Kent Test by the time students take the exam at the start of Year 6.

Weald of Kent says the change “reflects the school’s commitment to fairness, inclusion and accessibility, and aims to encourage families who may not previously have considered a grammar school to apply if they have a bright, academic daughter who would thrive in an aspirational yet caring environment.”

Headteacher Richard Booth (pictured below) said: “This new assessment is about aptitude, not advantage. We want to ensure that a girl’s potential, curiosity and academic ability are what matter – not whether her family has the means or inclination to pay for tutoring”.

Mr Booth continued: “By offering a bespoke test alongside the Kent Test, we are opening the door wider so that more local girls can see Weald of Kent as a school for them.”

“We are excited about the opportunities this creates,” added Mr Booth. “Our message is simple: if you have a bright, academic girl who loves learning, Weald of Kent could be the right place for her – without pressure, without advantage, and with every opportunity to meet her full potential.”

By removing the expectation of tutoring, Weald of Kent says it hopes to reassure families that preparation can remain focused on learning in primary school, rather than intensive exam coaching. It also aims to reduce the pressure often associated with applying for secondary school.

Robin Jones, Chair of the Trustees of Weald of Kent said: “As a state-funded grammar school, Weald of Kent is proud to be free, inclusive and rooted in its local community. We want every girl who joins us to feel a strong sense of belonging, to feel supported and valued, and to know that high academic standards and inclusivity go hand in hand.”

Weald of Kent Grammar School was recently voted among the top twenty schools nationally for being safe.

The school says the new initiative marks another step in making Weald of Kent increasingly accessible to local girls from Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and surrounding areas – particularly those who may not have previously seen grammar schools as an option for their family.

Expert is “Horrified” by Tunbridge Wells Water Systems

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A chartered geologist has criticised a lack of board level technical expertise at South East Water as investigations continue into how the taps ran dry in Tunbridge Wells before Christmas.

The geologist with long experience in the water supply industry is Charles Hedges (pictured below) and he spoke to the Southborough News YouTube channel last week.

Charles Hedges said: “What I don’t understand is that you have a (South East Water) board with … no chartered engineer, chartered chemist, or chartered microbiologist. I find that very odd.”

He continued: “I’m worried about the lack of technical expertise in the area of a chartered civil engineer who understands water supply, a lack of a chartered chemist who understands water process treatment, and I’m worried about a lack of chartered microbiologist, who understands microbiology”.

Charles Hedges also stated: “Pembury has had a potential issue with bacteria, so … there should be a director of microbiology on the board.”

South East Water told Southborough News in a statement that it would be investing in improving the Pembury water treatment works over the next five years.

South East Water also provided a list of professional qualifications obtained by its current eight-member board of directors. This states that one of its non-executive directors, Caroline Sheridan, is a chartered civil engineer, while Mark McArdle is a “Master of Chemistry.” But there was no sign of expertise in microbiology.

The board has 4 people with accountancy and commerce backgrounds. The independent Chair, Chris Train, is a Chartered Engineer, while Chief Executive David Hinton has worked at South East Water for more than 25 years having studied for a degree in Biotechnology.

The interview with Charles Hedges is included in a comprehensive video report on the public meeting at the Old Auction House in Tunbridge Wells held last Wednesday, which was organised by the newly formed “Dry Wells Action” group.

Here is a link to view the half-hour report on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlhXewN4Go4

“Dry Wells Action” was founded by Jonathan Hawker (pictured below at the meeting), who told us “absolute rage” caused him to start the group.

Neither South East Water or any of the regulators said they were able to attend the meeting due to the continuing investigations into the company’s performance.

Jonathan Hawker stated: “It was the third time we lost water completely in our household. We had the incident a couple of years ago, around Christmas. We had the incident at the end of last year before Christmas.”

Jonathan Hawker continued: “We thought we were through it. We weren’t, and after, you know, almost a week of intermittent water, it just went completely and I just had had enough, really.”

He added: “And so I decided that I would launch a campaign group – and campaign for a resilient water supply for Tunbridge Wells, and that’s what I’ve done.”

Here is the group’s website link: https://www.drywellsaction.com/

More than a hundred residents attended the meeting last Wednesday despite an evening of heavy January rain.

In other comments, geologist Charles Hedges told Southborough News that the lack of up-to-date real time monitoring of water inflows into the Pembury reservoir: “quite frankly horrifies me, bearing in mind, this is a town of, what, 70,000 people.”

Charles Hedges thinks the Pembury site should have been updated more than 20 years ago.

In response, South East Water sent Southborough News this statement from the Chief Executive, David Hinton:

“Our priority is improving South East Water in the future. We are strategically focused on our Business Plan and committed to delivering the infrastructure investment needed. This will improve our resilience as we face the challenges of climate change and population growth.

“We have a large capital investment programme planned over this five-year period (2025-2030), and Pembury water treatment works is part of that programme. In advance of this full refurbishment, a number of improvements and changes are being made at the site in line with the current regulatory notice. Some of these are complete, and others are still ongoing, all of which are in line with the regulators’ timescales.”

David Hinton continued: “My focus has been, and always will be, to lead South East Water into the position it needs to be to face the challenges all water companies in England and Wales have.

“Those challenges include climate change, growth in population and the urgent need for investment in our ageing infrastructure.

“Our Business Plan sets out how we will do this. It’s an ambitious plan and it is a robust plan.

“There is a lot to do to make sure South East Water has the resilience it needs to make sure our customers have the service they not only expect, but deserve.

“We apologise sincerely for the supply issues our customers have had. A combination of factors has meant we have not been able to provide the continuous, uninterrupted tap water service our customers rightly expect.

“We will always work with our regulators and stakeholders to make improvements and are transparent in everything we do.

“We have the expertise and dedication in our teams at South East Water and we will use innovation and technology to improve our service.”

You can also listen to the audio of the half-hour of interviews by downloading the West Kent Talking podcast.

Among those others who spoke to Southborough News on the video were local business owner Matthew Sankey, Marianne Amos from “Dry Wells Action” and a Liberal Democrat borough councillor representing Pantiles, Jamie Johnson. The piece ended with the views of local residents Jerry Bolton and Christopher Jackson.

Weald Radio Launches on DAB

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New DAB transmitters in West Kent have just been switched on, bringing the total number of radio stations available in Southborough in the DAB band to more than 180.

The arrival of the new local DAB multiplex coincides with the launch on Monday 19th January 2026 of Weald Radio, which is music-focused but also features snippets of local weather, news and events.

Weald Radio says it aims to cover an area including Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.

The new Maidstone and West Kent so-called “Small Scale DAB multiplex” uses low power transmitters, so is cheaper and more accessible for a wider range of operators.  The new DAB transmitter sites are in central Tunbridge Wells, a site near Maidstone and the mobile mast near St Julian’s just south of Sevenoaks. 

The on-air line-up on Weald Radio includes five presenters who were previously on the local FM Community Radio station, West Kent Radio. They include the former West Kent Radio breakfast presenter, Alan Rustad (pictured below), who has now shifted to the drivetime slot on Weald Radio.

Weald Radio is run as a community-based CIC (Community Interest Company) with all income reinvested in the company. The two directors of the parent company of the station, Oast Radio CIC, are Nigel Peacock and Phil Mills.

Weald Radio will be financed by a mixture of advertising, sponsorship, and grants. The entire team is providing their knowledge and expertise at no cost.

The station says its brand is “Where Local Matters”. A weekly “Weald Discoveries” programme will highlight new and unsigned artists from across Kent, while a short recorded community spot will highlight the work of charities and good causes in the area.



Meanwhile, West Kent Radio continues to broadcast on 95.5 FM and 106.7 FM to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. Its licence to broadcast on FM ends this October, although it could apply to OFCOM to extend it.

West Kent Radio is also due to be carried on the new West Kent Small Scale DAB multiplex.

West Kent Radio was until recently carrying regular interviews with local people and news features. Those ceased in January but the station continues to produce a local live sports programme on Saturday afternoons and a Tuesday evening programme featuring new local musicians.

Until recently, West Kent Radio boasted 23 hours of live programming a week during the main listening times of weekdays 7am to 7pm. But after leadership changes in December and an exodus of volunteers, West Kent Radio’s weekday daytime live programming has now slumped to just 5 hours a week.

The live programming on West Kent Radio comes from a studio in Southborough. Weald Radio operates from computers in volunteers’ homes and doesn’t have a studio.

Weald Radio also uses AI voices for some speech content, with Alice Ingrham providing weather updates.

Another radio station now on local DAB playing familiar music non-stop is CPR, which used to be known as Cinque Ports Radio, based in Rye, where it can also be heard on FM. Both CPR and Weald Radio are also carried on the Ashford Small Scale DAB multiplex.

The full list of DAB stations available in Southborough is available on this page:
https://southborough-news.com/dab-radio/

The full list of FM stations available in Southborough is listed here:
https://southborough-news.com/fm-radio/

More details about the new Weald Radio are found here:
http://www.wealdradio.co.uk/local-news/local-news/weald-radio-launches/

The latest schedule for West Kent Radio is listed here:
https://www.westkentradio.co.uk/on-air/

For reader information, the author of Southborough News, Martin Webber, previously provided news reports for West Kent Radio for 3 years until January 3rd 2025, when he left the voluntary role.

Water Crisis: Public Meeting on Wednesday

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A group of Tunbridge Wells residents has demanded that officials from South East Water and regulators meet the public at an event being held on Wednesday evening.

The group set up following prolonged failures of the local water supply is called “Dry Wells Action.”

Dry Wells Action’s founder, Jonathan Hawker (pictured below), wants measures to ensure the community is never again left unable to flush toilets or wash for days at a time.

Jonathan Hawker, said: “After all that it has been through, this community deserves to hear from the company itself and from those whose duty it is to hold South East Water to account. Not attending and speaking to people who’ve been so badly let down would in itself send a message of abject contempt for a community these organisations are meant to serve.”

Invitations were sent last week to the Water Minister, Emma Hardy MP; the three regulators – Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, and the Consumer Council for Water, as well as elected bodies and members.

Dry Wells Action said on Monday that so far there are no indications that SE Water or regulators will attend. Mike Martin MP is also understood to be busy at Westminster.

But the meeting will go ahead to allow residents, councillors and outside experts to discuss why the community has experienced repeated, lengthy water outages and why regulators and government have not taken enforcement action against the company.

Dry Wells Action’s website states its demands are:

  • A fully independent engineering review of the entire water supply system serving Tunbridge Wells by an outside engineering consultancy, with an honest assessment of what is failing, what needs rebuilding and what it will cost.
  •  A funded plan with timelines with a clear list of upgrades, milestones, deadlines and published progress.  
  • Investment in a future-proof water infrastructure, not temporary firefighting. 
  • A change in leadership at South East Water and effective regulation.

Dry Wells Action is grateful to the owners of the Old Auction House in Tunbridge Wells which has made the venue available to the group for free to host the event. Access is free but limited. The meeting starts promptly at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21st January. Tickets are available via http://www.drywellsaction.com