Tun Wells Town Council Nearer

Friday, 3 October 2025 13:41

By Martin Webber

A new public consultation has begun on whether Tunbridge Wells should have its own Town Council.

There's concern that local voices will struggle to be heard after the planned abolition of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in three years time.

A new much larger unitary authority will take on the functions of the borough and it’s likely to be based in Maidstone.

The local government reorganisation being implemented by the Labour government involves merging two existing top tiers of council administration - the Boroughs and Kent County Council.

People living in areas like Southborough and Rusthall already have a third tier - a Town or Parish Council - which would be unaffected by the changes.

But Tunbridge Wells never created a Town Council after the Tunbridge Wells Municipal Borough was abolished in 1974.

Adrian Berendt is vice-Chair of the Tunbridge Wells Town Forum and he gave me his reaction to phase one of the public consultation on the Town Council issue earlier in the year. Listen to Adrian here:

Adrian said: "We had over a thousand responses to the first consultation, which is not bad. We did not get quite as many responses as they had in Tonbridge. Overall it was a pretty good outcome."

He continued: "It certainly seems there is support for a Town Council for the unparished areas of Tunbridge Wells."

Phase two of the consultation looks at more detailed suggestions about how a Town Council might work.

Adrian Berendt (pictured above) told West Kent Radio that Town Council should be "sustainable".

He invites the public to come along to the next Tunbridge Wells Town Forum meeting on 29th October in the Old Auction House to voice their views. He says it will be "a very interesting discussion."

Residents who want to respond to the online Borough consultation have until 30th November.

The link to take part is here:
https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/council/voting-and-elections/cgr/have-your-say