THE BRIEF
🏠 350 Tonbridge Homes: Councillors have approved outline plans for up to 350 homes on the old Coblands Nursery site in Trench Road, Tonbridge. The 11.5-hectare site was once growing areas, polytunnels and storage buildings. Half the homes will be affordable. The scheme drew 83 objections, covering traffic, water supply, school places and access.
Tonbridge Angels Football Club had objected over a footpath running behind its function marquee. The club now says the path follows its boundary and the width is fixed, so it is satisfied. Kent County Council, Kent Highways and South East Water did not object. Officers said the extra traffic would not have a severe effect on local roads. Two ward councillors disagreed, describing long queues on Trench Road.
Plans include 564 parking spaces, 20 drop-off spaces for the nearby primary school and a second access from Waveney Road. The developer will pay more than £1m towards Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, £425,320 for healthcare near the site, and £167,000 towards Tonbridge's new leisure centre. Layout and design come later through reserved matters. Read more here.
🟢 More Traveller Sites Needed: Councils across Kent are short of 1,272 pitches for Gypsy and Traveller families. Councils must assess local need, set targets and find suitable land. Where there is a shortfall, plans for new pitches should normally be approved unless the land is protected. Tunbridge Wells is one of several councils, along with Canterbury and Sevenoaks, that say their upcoming local plans will meet their need in full.
Tonbridge and Malling must provide 33 more pitches by 2042. Dover is the only Kent authority with a surplus. Maidstone faces the largest task, with 1,579 caravans counted in January and a need for 529 more pitches by 2040/41. Campaigners argue that transit sites, which offer water and toilets for short stays, would ease pressure and cut unauthorised encampments.
One activist said such sites had worked well in Brighton. A Traveller who bought land near Gravesend said his plans were refused twice and his family may have to return to the road. Council leaders say work starting before permission undermines confidence in planning. Read more here.
🦆 Dead Ducks: Five dead ducks have been found at Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells. The borough council has put up signs asking visitors not to touch dead or sick birds and to report them to the parks team straight away. Dog owners have been told to keep their pets out of the water. The council said the long spell of hot, dry weather and low water levels had raised the risk of avian botulism at sites across the country.
It stressed that no case has been confirmed at Dunorlan, and that the cause of the deaths is not yet known. The birds were reported late last week and no further cases have come in since. The council has passed the matter to Defra. Avian botulism is a neurological disease caused by a toxin.
The bacterium behind it thrives in warm, shallow water with little oxygen. Infected birds become paralysed and cannot walk or fly. Conservationists in Sussex have warned that outbreaks will grow more common as the climate warms, after more than 100 birds died at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Read more here.
⚽ Game Postponed: Rusthall FC have postponed both their Bank Holiday matches. The club said a police matter involves a member of its playing squad. It has not named the player, who will not play while the investigation goes on. Rusthall took the decision after talking to the Southern Counties East Football League and the Kent FA.
The club called the circumstances extremely serious and distressing. It said the situation had affected players, coaches, volunteers and officials. People linked to the club had also received unwanted calls and messages from outside it. The club said it does not tolerate abuse, criminality or inappropriate behaviour.
It will keep working with the authorities and governing bodies. Rusthall were due to host Petts Wood & Holmesdale on Saturday. They were then set to travel to Tunbridge Wells FC on Monday 31st August. The club has asked fans not to speculate or contact anyone connected with it. Kent Police have been asked for more information. Read more here.
🎱 Snooker Hall Faces Demolition: The future of Tunbridge Wells’ Victorian snooker hall remains uncertain as the council presses ahead with plans to redevelop the Camden Road site. The hall’s operators say they are devastated by the prospect of losing their home.
The wider scheme is linked to the council’s £68 million regeneration plans. Critics have called it a “vanity project”. A decision on whether the hall should receive listed status is expected in September. Read more here.
