"We definitely need a voice"

The Tunbridge Wells Town Forum is asking the public to support a new Town Council in a consultation that's currently open.

The town of Royal Tunbridge Wells lost its Town Council in the last local government reorganisation in 1974.  It was decided one wasn't needed since the brand new Borough of Tunbridge Wells had just been created centred in the town to provide local services.

But the Labour government's plan to change local government will mean the abolition of the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council as well as Kent County Council.

Instead all major services provided by those two councils are planned to be delivered by a new West Kent Unitary Authority. This is likely to be based many miles away in Maidstone. 

Stuart Anderson speaks for the Tunbridge Wells Town Forum, which is a group of residents associations formed to respond to the Borough Council's work.  Listen to his interview here:

Stuart Anderson says he believes that people in the town of Tunbridge Wells should react to Labour's reorganisation by supporting a new local council, which would represent the 50,000 people within the town.

People in the so-called "unparished wards" of Tunbridge Wells live in Culverden, Pantiles, Park, Sherwood, St James' and St John's (See map below).

Southborough already has its own Town Council and areas like Rusthall have a parish council to represent local people and run local parks and allotments.

Opponents of new town councils in Kent have stated that they could increase costs and therefore lead to higher council taxes.

Asked why he thinks a new council is needed, Stuart Anderson told West Kent radio: "A definite yes for having a town council. We definitely need to have a voice within a unitary authority".

Stuart Anderson continued: "The town would be better managed if it was looked after together. Things like parks, allotments, public toilets".

The big buildings in the town like the Amelia, the council offices and the Assembly Hall would probably be run by the unitary authority as the assets are very big. 

But Stuart Anderson says that some town councils do run libraries, museums and theatres. He says: "Once we have established whether we want a town council or not, then the next stage would be to decide what assets would stay with the town and what assets go to the unitary authority."

One issue is whether the unparished areas of Tunbridge Wells should have more than one new council.

Stuart Anderson says he thinks Sherwood is proposed for having its own parish council but he thinks: "Sherwood isn't a distinct parish council like Rusthall or Speldhurst. It doesn't have a single identity.  To me it is very much part of the town centre and I would prefer it to remain part of the town centre."

You can give your views on the Town Council issue by filling in the pages on the Borough Council website on the "Community Governance Review Have Your Say":
https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/council/voting-and-elections/cgr

The consultation ends on Sunday 3rd August 2025.

An earlier article on the proposed Tunbridge Wells Town Council gives further information about the issue:
https://www.westkentradio.co.uk/news/west-kent-news/hearing-local-voices/