New Town Councils Supported

The idea of a new town council for Tonbridge has been approved by 72% of those who responded to a consultation.

Around 12% of the eligible population took part in the survey. 

A similar public consultation in Tunbridge Wells recently showed support of 60% for a town council.

A final decision on whether to proceed with the creation of a town council in Tonbridge will be made by a vote of borough councillors.

If a new town council is formed, elections could take place in 2027 to align with other parish and town councils.

Anna Cope, who's a Tonbridge Green Party Councillor, told West Kent Radio she was "delighted" with the consultation results and said further important decisions need to be made.  Listen here:

Anna Cope said: "We are delighted that Tonbridge residents have made it really clear that they support the creation of Tonbridge Town Council".

Back in February, the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council leader, the Conservative Matt Boughton, said the Labour government’s proposed abolition of the Borough meant there was a "democratic deficit" and he wanted the electorate of Tonbridge to decide the town council issue.

Matt Boughton reacted cautiously to the results of the consulation, telling West Kent Radio: "It is important that it was such a small turnout, as there is clearly apathy in Tonbridge about the idea of a town council."

Matt Boughton continued: "But everyone had the opportunity to respond - TMBC sent a leaflet to every household in the affected area and those who responded were clear in supporting it. Ultimately TMBC Full Council in October will have to decide whether this is a sufficient mandate to carry on the process."

Unlike most of the rest of the Tonbridge and Malling Borough, the wards of Tonbridge town (shown in map below) currently have no parish or town council administration.

The consultation ran from 2 June to 14 July 2025 and received 3,257 responses.

23% of those who did respond were opposed to the Town Council idea. Five per cent of respondents were unsure.

96% of those taking part were residents of Tonbridge, with a further 2% working in the town.

An estimated 27,142 people who are either Tonbridge town residents or who work in the town were eligible to take part.

Compared with the total possible electorate, the votes in the consultation were:
Supported town council   2,345 (8.6%)
Oppose town council           749  (2.8%)
Unsure about issue             163  (0.6%)
Didn't take part             23,885  (88.0%)

Damian Roberts, Electoral Registration Officer at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (pictured below), said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took part in this initial consultation exercise and provided feedback on the proposal."

Damian Roberts continued: “If a town council is created, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council will have a vital role to play in ensuring it is set up to succeed and that it meets the expectations of all the residents and businesses that it serves.”

A new town council, serving around 16,000 households, could take on responsibilities such as allotments, open spaces, community schemes and support for tourism. It may also represent the interests of the community on a range of matters.

The consultation questionnaire allowed those responding to provide reasons for their preference.

Among those supporting the town council proposal, the chief reasons given were that it that it would give the residents of Tonbridge a stronger voice in local decisions (47 per cent) and it would offer better facilities and support for the town (31 per cent).  A further 19 per cent said it would enhance the status of Tonbridge.

For those opposed to the creation of a council, 41 per cent cited concerns about additional costs added to their tax bill while 27 per cent said that the borough council (and any future unitary council) already provides the services that a town council would. Adding to local bureaucracy was also a concern in 27 per cent of responses.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council itself is likely to be abolished in the next few years to be replaced by a much larger West Kent Unitary authority also covering Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone.

A town council has the same powers as a parish council. It has elected councillors and would:
    •    Be a separately elected body of councillors representing the community
    •    Have powers to deliver local services or support initiatives, subject to available resources
    •    Have the ability to raise a precept (an additional amount added to council tax) to fund its activities

The survey in Tonbridge received three times the level of responses that were received to a consultation on having a town council for Tunbridge Wells.

In Tunbridge Wells, there were a total of 1,044 responses to their phase one consultation survey.