THE BRIEF
🪧 Pantiles For Sale: A historic shopping arcade in the centre of town has gone up for sale. The Pantiles is on the market for only the second time in 250 years. The sale covers 25 shop and restaurant units, plus homes and workspace above, and room to refurbish up to 28 flats. It also includes Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons and the historic Lord of the Manor of Rusthall title. The agents describe it as a rare chance to buy one of Britain's best-known mixed-use estates. They have not published a price.
The estate earns £936,855 a year, and the arcade drew 1.6 million visitors last year. The borough council says it will not bid, citing existing commitments and the coming local government shake-up. It backs the Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, who want to buy the Commons for the community. Councillors say planning and legal protections already cover both the arcade and the Commons. Read more here.
✈️ Gatwick Expansion Gets Green Light: Plans to expand Gatwick Airport have cleared their final major legal hurdle. The Court of Appeal rejected a challenge from campaign groups trying to block the £2 billion Northern Runway project.
Gatwick says the expansion could add around 100,000 flights a year and create 14,000 jobs. Passenger numbers could also rise from about 43 million a year to 75–80 million by the late 2030s.
Supporters say the project will boost jobs, trade and tourism. Campaigners fear more noise, traffic and carbon emissions. Some West Kent residents have also raised concerns about more planes flying over their homes. Read more here.
🚴 New Bike Hangars: Cyclists in the town centre now have two secure places to lock up. The council has installed bike hangars at Crescent Road car park, reached from Monson Road, and at Lower Walk on The Pantiles. A space costs 50p for up to two hours, or £1 for up to 12 hours. Riders book through the Hooplr app, and instructions appear on each hangar. The council has also lined up a free cycling event later this month.
The Big Bike Revival comes to The Amelia Scott on 15th August. Cycling UK and Kent County Council run the scheme, and the borough council is hosting the day. Riders can get minor repairs, safety checks and advice at no cost. The event is open to all. You can turn up on the day, though the organisers suggest booking a place first. Read more here.
🏥 Staff Warn of Closure: NHS staff have warned that closing a specialist ward will put frail older patients at risk. Whatman Ward at Maidstone Hospital shuts for good on 31st August. The 21-bed unit treats older people with frailty, dementia and complex medical needs. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust runs it, and also runs the hospital at Pembury. Staff have written to NHS leaders, councillors and their MP.
They say community services cannot absorb the extra demand. They warn of longer waits in A&E and delays handing patients over from ambulances. They also say the trust gave less than six weeks' notice and held no public consultation. The trust says the change fits the government's ten-year health plan, which shifts more care closer to people's homes. It says it wants patients treated in the right place. The regional NHS board says each trust decides how to organise its own staff and resources. Read more here.
💧Tonbridge Out Again: Homes in Tonbridge lost water again on Saturday morning. A large main burst in Shipbourne Road at 3.15am. The same area went dry the weekend before, when a different pipe failed. The water company re-routed supply through its network and restored 2,169 properties. Another 1,314 homes still had low pressure or no water. A bottled water station opened at Tonbridge Farm Sports Centre in Darenth Avenue.
The company apologised and said the repair was taking longer than expected. Thousands more homes elsewhere in Kent were cut off over the same weekend. The outages come during drought conditions and a hosepipe ban. One parish councillor said heavy water pallets left at the ends of driveways were no use to elderly residents. The company's new chief executive has promised £1.9 billion to fix leaks, build storage tanks and improve the network. Read more here.
🏦 New Banking Hub: Tonbridge now has a permanent banking hub. It opened on Friday at Unit 5, The Pavilion, in the High Street, on the site of the old Wimpy. The hub has moved from its temporary home at Tonbridge Castle. Cash Access UK runs it. A Post Office counter lets customers of any major bank take out cash, pay in notes and cheques, and check balances. Traders can bank their daily takings and swap notes for coins.
Customers can also pay utility bills over the counter. A different bank sends a community banker each weekday for more complex questions. HSBC come on Mondays, NatWest on Tuesdays, Barclays on Wednesdays, Santander on Thursdays and Lloyds on Fridays. The hub opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. It follows a campaign that began in 2023 after the town's high street banks closed. The local resident who founded the campaign group cut the ribbon. Read more here.
