There were no local elections held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Education Directory has everything you could possibly need! 5mo. The pandemic has seriously impacted on the Councils income so there are some major financial decisions to take to balance our revenue budget and replenish reserves. Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs. To be responsible for the Rough Sleeper Initiatives operating in both TW and T&M council areas and effectively direct and co-ordinate the various projects/activities, ensuring that use of the initiatives are maximised for the benefit of verified rough Posted in Local Elections, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Conservative Tunbridge Wells Council Leader Tom Dawlings outlines key achievements and upcoming 2022 delivery in the Tunbridge Wells Times newspaper news article published on the 2nd February. Having accepted the Leadership Cllr Chapelard announced his administration will be called the borough partnership. He said: Ive been on the council for nearly 12 years and the advice I was given was as a leader of the opposition you think you know your way around the council, but when you become leader there will be things you werent aware of that sometimes crop up. The leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has resigned.. A statement from the council says Alan McDermott (Con), councillor for Brenchley and Horsmonden, stepped down on Sunday and a new . The chair of Tunbridge Wells Alliance Nick Pope told Southborough News that the seat had been won by his party after relentless campaigning. It doesnt reflect the balance in the council.". new Audience Development & Programmes Manager Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 4.2 Royal Tunbridge Wells 40,375 a year "The amount of hours I was putting in last year was unbelievable. Placemaking is fundamental to the Council and as the new Planning Policy . 1 0 obj Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells. :D6hs%#^_G1NG.2S\)me{u It was a decision which left Hugo Pound (Lab), leader of the Labour group, frustrated. Main Responsibilities 1. The Conservatives were displaced as the largest party by the Liberal Democrats following the 2022 election, with Mayor Chris Woodward losing his seat and Leader of the Council Tom Dawlings seeing his majority significantly reduced in his ward. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council can send you a weekly email packed full of interesting news and features. Debs has a keen interest in conservation and local wildlife. By Geoff Mason | 13 April 2023. Tunbridge Wells borough council (TWBC) took aim at Sunak's comments over the summer, when a video emerged of him speaking to Conservative activists in the area during the previous Tory . The email also includes a reminder for your bin collection day and tells you when new planning applications have been submitted near your house. [5] Eight wards are within Royal Tunbridge Wells itself: Broadwater, Culverden; Pantiles & St Marks; Park; Rusthall; Sherwood & St John's and St. James. View the profiles of our Wells Fargo Board of Directors. Cllr Dawlings said the recent speech where Boris Johnson suggested that green fields should be protected from development had not yet turned into revised government policy, so the existing Local Plan including the new development at Capel was continuing its approval process and was currently with government-appointed planning inspectors. 53m of covid recovery grants sourced from central government distributed to local retail and businesses to support recovery post pandemic. Councillor Ben Chapelard Title: Leader of the Council Party: Liberal Democrats Ward: St James' Other councillors representing this Ward: Councillor Rob Wormington More information about this. Western Assistant Team Leader Ruth Chambers Assistant Team Leader Claire Thompson Principal Planning Officer Lynda Middlemiss part-time Senior Planning Officer Nancy Redgrove The Town Hall co-working initiative which opens up additional space inside, released from digital automation for start-up & small businesses. The deficit last year was 944,000 which has been plugged by reserves so in the old administration that wouldve been balanced. Councillor Dawlings (Cons), ward member for Benenden and Cranbrook, was first elected to the Council in 2014 and has been portfolio holder for Finance and Governance since 2019. Council Leader Ben Chapelard said: 'The Council is a force for good. Announcing a new cabinet he revealed that four seats had gone to the Lib Dems, while both Labour and the TWA will have two each. Maidstone Borough Council Stuart Jeffery has been voted in as Maidstone Borough Council's first Green councillor In Tunbridge Wells the Conservatives lost eight seats and are no longer. The Conservative Party won a majority. This state lasted for two years until 1996, when the Liberal Democrats gained a majority in the borough for the first time in its history. He said there were plans to trial a light electric vehicle mini-bus style taxi around the centre of Tunbridge Wells. "They want to wait until the full council meeting on Wednesday.". But Cllr Hayward, a councillor for Pembury, said: "We have desperately been trying to get a response from Alan.". He says he feels all opposition parties are united in wanting what is best for the area. Alison Broom, Chief Executive William Cornall, Director of Regeneration and Place Mark. <> Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. "Then, on Friday, I got an email, saying they didn't want to meet.". See here @BenChapelard's (Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) response. Ooi, erstwhile the representative for Southborough and High Brooms ward, had distanced himself from the national Labour government during his campaign, calling on the electorate to support a continued opposition to Tory rule in the borough. Cllr Blackwell 2: Plans for Hub Theatre are Very Unrealistic, Cllr Blackwell 1: Cllr Oakford is incorrect on State of Victoria Hall, Shock Resignation of Conservative Town Councillor, Cllr Oakford 2: Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall to Run Hub Theatre, Cllr Oakford 1: Confident of Overcoming Sport England Objection. "The boundary commission is about to start an investigation to balance up the wards sizes across the borough which, inevitably, will lead to many changes. On 13 May 2022, the TWA released a statement claiming that negotiations with the Liberal Democrats on forming a new administration had not begun, rejecting claims by Chapelard in the Kent and Sussex Courier that discussions were ongoing. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? They stated that the Alliance and the Labour Party had both contacted the Liberal Democrats to start talks, but that they had been told negotiations could only begin on 15 May 2022, which the TWA stated was only two days before many decisions need[ed] to be made and submitted. After the return to in-person Common Council meetings earlier this summer, a small group of residents asked Council to consider holding hybrid meetings (allowing public participation both in-person and by remote video conference). Councillor Dawlings (Cons), ward member for Benenden and Cranbrook,. Bob Atwood, who was elected leader of the council in January 2011, lost to Piers Wauchope of. This plain is part of the so-called Garden of England, named for its extensive orchards and former hop farms, sheep and cattle. The Conservative Party maintained their control over the council. Apart from Tunbridge Wells itself, places of interest in the Borough include: Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}510744N 01539E / 51.12889N 0.26083E / 51.12889; 0.26083, 1990s: Liberal Democrat Rule and Conservative Reclamation, 2000s: Continued Conservative Rule and Labour Decline, 2022: End of Conservative Administration and Formation of Coalition, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of places of worship in Tunbridge Wells (borough), "Coalition to run Tunbridge Wells council to be agreed after Conservatives lose power", "Tunbridge Wells result - Local Elections 2022 - BBC News", "PRESS RELEASE: Coalition discussions yet to start", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Borough_of_Tunbridge_Wells&oldid=1144226138, facilities for rock-climbing at the 'High Rocks', 2 miles west of Tunbridge Wells, This page was last edited on 12 March 2023, at 14:43. Tunbridge Wells Green Party is standing 16 candidates on 4th May - a full slate! It comes after the Conservatives failed to secure the 10 seats they needed to retain overall control at the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections earlier this month. A string of villages lies across this plain, from Brenchley and Horsmonden to Benenden and Headcorn. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, by the merger of the municipal borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells along with Southborough urban district, Cranbrook Rural District and most of Tonbridge Rural District. Cllr Dawlings said there was cross-party support for efforts to upgrade the existing Town Hall building. 1.1 The report relates to the Council's commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030 and promote and carry out positive actions for the conservation and enhancement of our local environment. "I decided the best thing I could do was to stand aside. from A Green In The Room Will Make The Difference, from Co-Leader Carla Denyer Visits Goudhurst, from A Green in the Room Makes a Difference, West Kent Radio Interview with Tunbridge Wells Green Party. Tunbridge Wells Social has been created to establish an online sense of community across our borough and to help combat the social isolation and loneliness we can all feel sometimes. In a by-election in Culverden ward held later that year, the Conservative Party lost another seat to the Liberal Democrats. On the Speldhurst and Bidbrough by-election result, Cllr Dawlings said the result was hugely disappointing and the Conseratives had had an admirable candidate in Rowena Stanyer who took 46% of the vote. The largest party, with 16 councillors, are the Liberal Democrats. In a major upset for the Liberal Democrats, the Conservative Party won every single seat that the Lib Dems were defending in the election, providing the party with a majority in the borough, which was seen as traditionally pro-Tory, once more. Nick Pope said: It is up to Tom Dawlings, the Leader of the council, to decide what he should do. More. [1] Political control %PDF-1.7 Cllr Woodward, who has represented Broadwater since 2006, has also replaced previous mayor Joy Podbury. He said: "I suggested that, even without a hung council, my aim would be to have good relations with opposition groups mainly because we would be in full agreement on most of the services the council provides. The Liberal Democrats were also criticised by the Conservatives for their plans to use parts of the Common for cycle and bus lanes. RT @ThreshedThought: This is something that I was never expecting to have to write: @GregClarkMP has written a newspaper article that is full of lies. David Hayward has already been in touch with the company which last month announced, subject to planning permission, it was poised to buy the 1.5 acre site which has stood unused since 2000. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE HYBRID MEETING FINDINGS. Councillor Ben Chapelard, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, chalked the Tories' huge losses up to not just dissatisfaction with the national Conservative government's response to the cost-of-living crisis and anger over Partygate, but also frustration with the local Tory government's pattern of spending, including 10.8 The Conservative leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has been unseated by a UKIP candidate. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> It is likely that little will change until the May elections.. Political control of the council since 1973 has been held by the following parties:[2], The leaders of the council since 1998 have been:[3]. But despite the changes to the new-look chamber, they remain deadlocked after the Conservatives failed to secure the 10 seats they needed to retain overall control at the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections earlier this month. https://www.timeslocalnews.co.uk/tunbridge-wells-news. Great article by Cllr Victoria White assessing the outcome of the Lib Dem - Alliance - Labour coalition's first term running Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The Conservative's 23 council seats are now outnumbered by the 25 seats held by opposition parties. There are also 3 seats belonging to Independents.[6]. 28 Apr 2023 19:27:21 Councillor Tom Dawlings (above) said the plan, which earmarks land across the borough for housing, employment, leisure and infrastructure, would be submitted, as scheduled, to the . The content is clear and concise and you do not need to wade through a load of reading. The Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Plan 2022-24 "Building a Better Borough" contains a commitment to develop a pesticide & herbicide policy. Cllr McDermott said: "We thought they had it all arranged but they decided they didn't want to do it. In an interview with Southborough News, Cllr Tom Dawlings (pictured below) said he spoke regularly with the opposition group leaders. Conservative Tunbridge Wells Council Leader Tom Dawlings outlines key achievements and upcoming 2022 delivery in the Tunbridge Wells Times newspaper news article published on the 2nd February. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. There is a railway line across the clay plain in an almost unbroken straight line between Redhill, Tonbridge and Ashford, Kent. After 1976, when the council was re-elected, the Conservatives controlled of seats. The major issue now confronting the council is the budget. On [], Read More from Debs Keech Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, Alasdair can usually be found on his bike either coaching, competing or cycling local routes. The Conservatives are still in control of the council with their majority. "It's not going to be Alliance-led, Labour-led or Lib Dem-led. "But whether that will influence the others in his group, I dont know.". Thats why Ive created a cabinet post for government and transparency (David Hayward) so we look at how we govern. Over the next five years if we dont do anything about it we will have another 20 million hole in the council finances. The restricted area[clarification needed] immediately to the north and west of Tunbridge Wells lies within the Weald. Earlier plans for an active travel route along the A26 which Borough Council officers had worked on for some time and for which Government funding had been secured had had to be abandoned when these failed to get the support of Kent Highways officials due to safety concerns. Nick Pope (pictured below) emphasised the recent slide in Conservative support, pointing out that just 3 years ago, the Conservatives had a massive majority, holding 43 out of 48 seats on the Borough Council. Martin: Voters in Tunbridge Wells [], Read More from West Kent Radio Interview with Tunbridge Wells Green Party, Trevor Bisdee writes Im really pleased that for the first time the Green Party is standing a candidate in every one of the sixteen Wards across the Borough, giving people [], Read More from Making Paddock Wood Fairer and Greener, Tunbridge Wells Green Party is proud to announce our candidates for the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections on May 4th. The council is planning to draw on reserves to cover the budget shortfall caused by a loss of income from charges (as a result of the Covid pandemic) and rising costs of staff, utility bills, waste collection and parks maintenance. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting service, Cllr Chapelard said: We all know from Calverley Square the councils reputation has been absolutely savaged by residents and we need to rebuild that trust. The Green Party 2006 - 2023 | Manage Cookies, from Debs Keech Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, from West Kent Radio Interview with Tunbridge Wells Green Party, from Making Paddock Wood Fairer and Greener. In 2007, the Labour Party was completely pushed out of the council after losing its last councillor, Ronnie Ooi. "Sadly, my approach to sort out some matters in advance of the full council meeting were rebuffed. Cllr Dawlings said: I believe that most of the priorities I set out when I was appointed leader of the council in May are uncontroversial and my intention is to continue to work on those priorities in the best interest of the town and borough.. It is all change as a new leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and a new mayor have been elected. Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs. This caused the Conservatives to lose their majority, creating a minority administration. But in the balanced state the Council is now in (24 Conservative Members, 24 Opposition Members) working more closely together is all the more important. The leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has resigned. In 2021, the Conservatives, who made significant gains across the country in that years local elections, continued to lose ground to the other parties in the council. This is something that I was never expecting to have to write: @GregClarkMP has written a newspaper article that is full of lies. Meanwhile, the Conservative leader Cllr Tom Dawlings said he wanted to look at new options for a cycle and pedestrian route linking Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Tunbridge Wells Borough Council May 2022 - Present1 year Tunbridge Wells, England, United Kingdom Student Voice/Communicating for meaning. from Tunbridge Wells Green Party is standing 16 candidates on 4th May a full slate! Alasdair wants to help the borough council make more sustainable decisions especially about local transport [], Penny is a local gardener, small business owner and mum to a primary aged daughter. The new deputy mayor is Godfrey Bland (Con), ward member for Hawkhurst and Sandhurst. Despite the initial rebuff, I hope the Opposition Group Leaders will now be prepared to discuss establishing good working relationship because that is what our residents and businesses both need and deserve.. Tom Dawlings, who led the Conservative group in the council, disagreed with Chapelards accusations of council maladministration and complacency and arrogance, naming as some of his administrations successes 54 million in grants distributed to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the construction of the Amelia Scott building in the town centre. .news-img { width: 40%; height: auto; float: left; margin-right: 20px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 470px) { .news-img { width: 100%; height: auto; float: none; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px;} }. endobj treeves@thekmgroup.co.uk. Celebrating Tunbridge Wells Women in Business to recognise International Womens Day. A new plan for Tunbridge Wells borough was approved by Full Council on 1 March 2023 Book a bulky or electrical item collection, Homeless, vulnerable or at risk of homelessness, Setting up your business in Tunbridge Wells, Genuinely affordable housing and social rental housing, Digital access, transparency and local democracy. <>/Metadata 143 0 R/ViewerPreferences 144 0 R>> Local News; National News; Tunbridge Wells Conservatives . Planners Want Evidence from Public that Royal Victoria Hall has Historic Value, TV Architect Ptolemy Dean Condemns Hub Design as Poor, Theatre Experts are Concerned About Southborough Hub Plans, Parking Zone May Be Way Forward in Pennington Road, Apathy as Royal Victoria Hall set for demolition, Southborough Doctors Will NOT Move to Car Park for Now, Southborough Doctors Confirm Move to Car Park, Councillors Still at Odds over New Southborough Hub, Hopes and Fears over Hub as Scheme Heads to Planning Stage, July 11-17: Final Hub Public Consultation, Southborough Society calls for Town Museum and debates Library, Local Election on Thursday: Party Pledges, Lloyds Bank Southborough: Closure Seems Inevitable, Town Council says its Intention is to Preserve Remaining Ridgewaye Fields, Labour Supporters Ask for More Protection for Remaining Ridgewaye Fields, Refurbishing the Existing Theatre is Cheaper Option, Insists Save RVH Campaign, Glenn 3: Demolishing the Royal Victoria Hall. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council can send you a weekly email packed full of interesting news and features. #GrubbyGreg . One year of the Lib Dem - Alliance coalition: what have they done for Tunbridge Wells? Cllr Dawlings pointed out that his partys share of the vote was an improvement on the May election result when the Conservatives had held the seat. We're standing in all 16 wards so anyone . The partnership is made up of Liberal Democrats, Tunbridge Wells Alliance (TWA) and Labour councillors, and the independent councillor for Paddock Wood (East). David Jukes lost out to Lucy Willis of the Tunbridge . "The pandemic has seriously impacted on the councils income, so there are some major financial decisions to take to balance our revenue budget and replenish reserves. "Some of the services provided by our major contractors are presently less than satisfactory. The leader of The Alliance on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council hopes the ABC cinema site can be put to community use until development takes place. Tom Dawlings (Con), a ward member for Benenden and Cranbrook, has . In recent years she has been hands-on with house restoration. He is keen to hear their voices and learn of the contributions they are making that benefit their communities and society at large. [1], The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Matthew Sankey (pictured below) won the Speldhurst and Bidborough seat last week for the Tunbridge Wells Alliance Party by just 58 votes with a 50% share of the vote. As is customary, the mayor chooses a charity to support during their term of office and Cllr Woodward will be supporting Mental Health Resource, a mental health charity. Something went wrong, please try again later. He argued that the cross-party collaborative agreement on plans to rent out the surplus space in the Town Hall for co-working showed that the different groups were able to work effectively together. Chapelard stated his intention to reduce the councils budget deficit, which he claimed would cumulatively amount to 20 million by 2028. Council control before election. Kent areas with worst pollution amid controversial ULEZ expansion, Current plans would see the Ultra Low Emissions Zone expanded this summer, Arrest after man has neck cut in 'serious assault', Police are now appealing for witnesses and those with information to come forward. Describing the poor performance of his party in the elections as a real disappointment, he announced his resignation as council leader. He said the cabinet system of running councils meant that after the full council appointed him for a four year term as leader last May, he then appointed the cabinet, which is responsible for most day-to-day decisions in the council. We knew it could only be won by working hard and speaking to as many people as possible.. rough sleeping in the Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling areas. Last August, Cllr McDermott survived a leadership challenge at the Conservative AGM, beating off competition from Cllr Paul Barrington-King. Please see the Times of Tunbridge Wells (https://www.timeslocalnews.co.uk/tunbridge-wells-news) news article attached below which covers: New emergency accommodation for rough sleepers. The day-to-day management of the council and its services is carried out by the Corporate Leadership Team. Delivery of the Amelia Community Centre opening in April. As is customary the Mayor chooses a charity to support during their term of office and Councillor Woodward will be supporting Mental Health Resource, a local mental health charity. On May 4th, vote for [], Read More from Penny Peerless Paddock Wood East, Geoff Mason our Chair was interviewed by Martin Webber at West Kent Radio ahead of next Thursdays Borough Elections. Cllr Dawlings also says he wants to look at improving the refuse services in the area. There is a 20 million deficit forecast over the next five years and thats got to be addressed. The 2019 election saw the Conservatives lose many seats, although they retained their majority. "Councillor McDermott was elected leader in May 2019. On the state of shops in Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Dawlings noted that the Pantiles area was currently buzzing and he expressed optimism that the empty BHS store would soon attract a new retailer. "All the opposition wants what's best for the borough," he said. Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells. The seat returned to Labour in 2014, bringing the party back to the council. endobj A new Tunbridge Wells council leader has been elected after the conservatives lost their majority for the first time in 22 years.