A statement from the council says Alan McDermott (Con), councillor for Brenchley and Horsmonden, stepped down on Sunday and a new leader of the council will be appointed this Wednesday. Ousted council leader says building offices "still a good proposition Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. The Full Council elects the. The Council is composed of 48 councillors representing 20 wards across the borough. Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs. 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. he first Tunbridge Wells Borough Council was elected prior to the boroughs official formation, in the 1973 United Kingdom local elections. He said the Council was looking at ways of helping the local economy by connecting the top and bottom of Tunbridge Wells more effectively. Hub plans win over Tunbridge Wells Planning Committee, Multiple Errors of Fact in Planning Officers Report supporting Hub, say critics, Southborough Society Pledges Full Support for Council Hub Scheme, Key Planning Decision Next Week as Hub Project Team Ignore Petition, Petition Against Current Hub Plans Reaches 1,000 signatures: Local Priest says pay attention, Heritage Asset Status awarded to Royal Victoria Hall But Only Just, Soccer Club on Ridgewaye says Trust in Hub Project Team Has Evaporated, Backstage Pictures Reveal Secrets of Condemned Royal Victoria Hall amid New Delay to Planning Verdict, 84% of Planning Comments Still Oppose Hub Plans, Tunbridge Wells Theatre Boss Calls For Old Southborough Theatre to be Demolished, Hub Project on Track says Southborough Council, Six Reasons to Save the Superb Royal Victoria Hall, Sport England says No to Hub building plans. Cllr Dawlings outlined new proposals including an electric vehicle mini-bus service for the centre of Tunbridge Wells as well as a potential new cycle and pedestrian route from Tunbridge Wells to Tonbridge. <>/Metadata 143 0 R/ViewerPreferences 144 0 R>> Alliance - Labour coalition's first term running Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Tunbridge Wells council eyes up buildings and car parks to sell as budget gap looms 'But we have obviously got to rationalise some of our property assets to make the best use of them and that is going to be a major factor as we address this budget shortfall,' said council leader Tom Dawlings 16 December 2021 By Mary Harris Among the issues fought over were plans for traffic calming and widening the A21. More. Are Any of the Walls of the Royal Victoria Hall Collapsing? 2 0 obj Alison Broom, Chief Executive William Cornall, Director of Regeneration and Place Mark. 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. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), the Conservatives failed to secure the 10 seats they needed to retain overall control at the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections, Cllr McDermott survived a leadership challenge at the Conservative AGM. The Conservative's 23 council seats are now outnumbered by the 25 seats held by opposition parties. 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 . "All the opposition wants what's best for the borough," he said. After the election, they held 24 of 48 seats. Cllr Dawlings also noted that the Borough Councils Local Plan covered more than housing. Having accepted the Leadership Cllr Chapelard announced his administration will be called the borough partnership. It threatens our security and the very foundations of our society. One year of the Lib Dem - Alliance coalition: what have they done for Tunbridge Wells? Last week I approached each Leader of the Opposition Groups. A record 662 new homes were built in the last 12 months, including 272 affordable homes. Cllr McDermott admitted it had been a tough two years in charge, dealing with the impact of the coronavirus health crisis. The SER line to Hastings passes through Tunbridge Wells; here there was once a further branch connection south-eastwards to Groombridge, and at Paddock Wood is the southern terminus of the Medway Valley Line to Maidstone. Cllr Dawlings said that council staff numbers had been cut by 30% in recent years, so there was 20,000 square feet of office space that could be rented out, with the hope of bringing 300 new office workers into the centre of the town. Since 2016 the Community Safety Manager at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council following eleven years experience as the Council's Anti-social Behaviour Officer. It takes its name from its main town, Royal Tunbridge Wells. The council stands at Conservatives 24, Liberal Democrats 13, Tunbridge Wells Alliance 5, Labour 5, Independent 1. Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells. Council control before election. "It's not going to be Alliance-led, Labour-led or Lib Dem-led. At the same meeting Councillor Chris Woodward (Cons) was elected as Mayor of Tunbridge Wells. 'Not our lived experience': Tunbridge Wells leaders rubbish Sunak Council control after election. 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. Tory Tunbridge Wells leader Bob Atwood loses seat to UKIP 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. 2023 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election - Wikipedia Despite the strong campaign against development around Capel, Cllr Dawlings continued to argue the case for satisfying central Government housing demands by developing a new settlement and including new infrastructure for road improvements, new schools and medical and recreational facilities. Read More from Tunbridge Wells Green Party is standing 16 candidates on 4th May a full slate! Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells. National government has destroyed local government in terms of cuts, so the council receives no revenue support grants, and weve had COVID and things havent recovered to pre-COVID levels.. See here @BenChapelard's (Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) response. 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. %PDF-1.7 It is all change as a new leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and a new mayor have been elected. Posted in Local Elections, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 48 councillors have been elected from 20 wards. Dont take my [], Read More from A Green In The Room Will Make The Difference, We were delighted to welcome Carla Denyer to Tunbridge Wells last Saturday to help us launch this years local election campaign. P!JcT+hRh+A@`td{(=U>`7Y\g-y``bG6E+mu R 9e6,>zz:8-\(|r? Members of the Council elected Councillor Tom Dawlings as new Leader at a meeting of the Full Council on Wednesday 26 May. This caused the Conservatives to lose their majority, creating a minority administration. New leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and new mayor elected rough sleeping in the Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling areas. 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. Published and promoted by Chris Rose on behalf of the Green Party, both at The Green Party, PO Box 78066, London, SE16 9GQ. Mike Martin on Twitter: "RT @ThreshedThought: This is something that David Jukes lost out to Lucy Willis of the Tunbridge . The email also includes a reminder for your bin collection day and tells you when new planning applications have been submitted near your house. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council | LinkedIn after the conservatives lost their majority for the first time in 22 years, after the conservatives lost nine seats in the council elections, Fresh plans for new health spa and accommodation at popular pub and restaurant, I was scared of losing my baby' says Tunbridge Wells mum left to feel 'invisible' by nurses, The tragic story of a Tunbridge Wells sea cadet and how he is being remembered, A21 crash: Suzuki motorcyclist killed in May bank holiday tragedy, The crash towards Hastings also "seriously" injured his pillion passenger who has been taken to hospital, A21 reopens after motorcyclist dies in crash near Tunbridge Wells, The crash involved a motorbike and car on Hastings Road, southbound, and caused the road to close, A2 closed as multi-vehicle crash causes oil to spew across road - as it happened, National Highways says there are delays and congestion following the crash, Kent coastal areas people advised to avoid amid sewage warnings as more people head to the beach, Swimmers have been told to avoid these places, Tunbridge Wells, Canterbury and every other Kent area's May bank holiday bin collection dates, Some of the countys districts will see a slightly revised collection timetable due to the bank holiday, A260 crash seriously injures cyclist with road forced to close all afternoon, Kent Police and paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the scene with traffic heading into Folkestone heavily impacted, Kents best pubs with a beer garden to make the most of this spring, Theres a reason our county is known as the Garden of England, Celebrate King's coronation with afternoon tea on steam train through Kent, Air ambulance lands after 'serious' crash near Tunbridge Wells, Coin found in pile of pennies in Kent home worth thousands, The owner thought the coin was fake but it turned olut to be 400-years-old and extremely valuable, Kent to be just as hot as Venice on May bank holiday, Its looking to be a very warm bank holiday here in the Garden of England, Celebrate coronation with afternoon tea on steam train through Kent, Major Kent road closed in one direction after crash, A20 Westbound closed, slow traffic due to accident, two cars and a lorry involved from A260 Canterbury Road to M20, New map shows latest Arcturus Covid cases in UK, A surge in cases of the Arcturus variant has been recorded in over 30 countries, 'Inflation is making it harder to grocery shop on a budget - even at Aldi', Some items at Aldi - like many other stores - have increased in price over the past months, Stunning Spanish galleon ship heading to Kent, It is the only ship of its kind to sail in the present day, Father-of-six among those remembered by loved ones in Kent's death notices. Then-leader of the Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown visited the area to help campaign for his party, who were quite confident in their ability to retain the borough administration. "This late addition to the agenda comes after councillor Alan McDermott resigned from the post on Sunday, May 23. 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. 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. Cllr Chapelard is the ward member for St James' and Liberal Democrats Council Group Leader. 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. There are also 3 seats belonging to Independents.[6]. Mike Calvert writes climate breakdown is the most important challenge we will face in our lifetimes. 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. 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. [1] Political control It doesnt reflect the balance in the council.". Cllr Chapelard said: We have come together to form this administration with one single and only objective: doing the best for our residents and our borough.. Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 48 councillors have been elected from 20 wards. News - Tunbridge Wells Green Party The council plans to increase its element of Council Tax by 2% (or 5 mimimum per household). At Wednesday's (May 25) Full Council meeting, the first since the May 5 elections that saw the Lib Dem group overtake the Tories as the largest party at TWBC, Cllr Ben Chapelard . Western Assistant Team Leader Ruth Chambers Assistant Team Leader Claire Thompson Principal Planning Officer Lynda Middlemiss part-time Senior Planning Officer Nancy Redgrove The partnership is made up of Liberal Democrats, Tunbridge Wells Alliance (TWA) and Labour councillors, and the independent councillor for Paddock Wood (East). "I think, in all honesty, if you go to any borough council leader, they will say the last year or two years has been the hardest they have had. The borough of Tunbridge Wells lies along the south western border of Kent, partly on the northern edge of the Weald, the remainder on the Weald Clay plain in the upper reaches of the rivers Teise and Beult. What's for dinner? Were standing in all 16 wards so anyone who wants []. <> Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox. Describing the poor performance of his party in the elections as a real disappointment, he announced his resignation as council leader. At the same full council meeting today, Chris Woodward (Con), the deputy mayor, was elected as mayor of Tunbridge Wells. 53m of covid recovery grants sourced from central government distributed to local retail and businesses to support recovery post pandemic. Cllr McDermott says Tom Dawlings, the new head of the Tory party, has attempted to arrange to meet the other three party leaders to strike a deal, a claim denied by Tunbridge Wells Alliance leader David Hayward, with negotiations all set to continue during this week's council meeting. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council can send you a weekly email packed full of interesting news and features. In 2007, the Labour Party was completely pushed out of the council after losing its last councillor, Ronnie Ooi. [5] Eight wards are within Royal Tunbridge Wells itself: Broadwater, Culverden; Pantiles & St Marks; Park; Rusthall; Sherwood & St John's and St. James. He said this was less damaging than adding more houses to existing villages where the infrastructure was already overloaded. 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 . "Sadly, my approach to sort out some matters in advance of the full council meeting were rebuffed. The seat returned to Labour in 2014, bringing the party back to the council. But Cllr Hayward, a councillor for Pembury, said: "We have desperately been trying to get a response from Alan.". The Liberal Democrats more than doubled their presence. 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. 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. Cllr Dawlings said he was now discussing alternative routes using existing Public Rights of Way but away from the A26. The new deputy mayor is Godfrey Bland (Con), ward member for Hawkhurst and Sandhurst. Bob Atwood, who was elected leader of the council in January 2011, lost to Piers Wauchope of. "Some of the services provided by our major contractors are presently less than satisfactory. Common Council | Summit, NJ 3 0 obj He said there were plans to trial a light electric vehicle mini-bus style taxi around the centre of Tunbridge Wells.