This week in Tunbridge Wells...

Trust in South East Water has collapsed. A new survey shows more than half of customers now stockpile bottled water at home. Tunbridge Wells was badly hit by two major outages this winter. Separately, the council approved 120 new homes and a medical centre at Bassett's Farm in Horsmonden. The borough faces higher housing targets under new government rules.

On the culture front, Strictly stars Amy and Carlos bring their live dance show to the Assembly Hall on Sunday evening. Trinity Theatre also hosts Take Flight, aerial theatre for babies and toddlers, across Sunday and Monday.

Have a great week!

WEATHER

Monday: 6°C 🌡️ 17°C | 🌧️

Tuesday: 8°C 🌡️ 16°C | ⛈️

Wednesday: 9°C 🌡️ 17°C | 🌦️

CORRECTION

In last week's newsletter we referred to Hospice in the Weald closing its Children and Young People's Service. To clarify: the Hospice has announced proposals to withdraw the service and a formal consultation is currently underway. No final decision has been made. The consultation closes on 30th June. We apologise for any confusion caused by the earlier wording.

THE BRIEF

💔 SE Water Trust "In Tatters": A new survey has found trust in South East Water severely damaged following two major supply outages. More than half of customers now stockpile bottled water at home. Nearly one in five no longer drink tap water at all. The Consumer Council for Water called the findings "a horror story." Tunbridge Wells was badly hit.

A pre-Christmas outage cut supply to 24,000 local properties. Storm Goretti then hit 30,000 homes and businesses in January. Vulnerable residents reported the worst effects. The company's outgoing chief executive apologised and promised infrastructure upgrades. Ofwat is investigating South East Water's customer care during both incidents and has proposed a separate £22 million fine for earlier failures. Read more here.​

🏡 Horsmonden Homes: Tunbridge Wells Planning Committee unanimously approved a hybrid application for 120 homes and a medical centre at Bassett's Farm, Horsmonden on 27th May. The approval came after amendments to affordable housing tenure and a £280,000 village hall contribution. Separately, the council is now inviting landowners to submit sites for its new Local Plan review, with a deadline of 3 August 2026. The borough must plan for significantly higher housing numbers under new government rules, following adoption of the current Local Plan in December 2025. Read more here.​

🍷 Senza Will Serve: A new all-day dining venue at 50 The Pantiles won a licence from the council's Licensing Sub-Committee on 4th June after a contested hearing. Senza Fondeli applied to serve alcohol daily from 11am to 11pm. Residents in the nearby historic listed buildings raised concerns about noise, waste and fire safety. The applicant argued the venue would be food-led, with alcohol and music playing an ancillary role. The committee heard objections from four local residents and the Pantiles Residents Association. It granted the licence subject to conditions, including a Noise Management Plan agreed with Environmental Health. Read more here.​

💚 Climate Action Grants: Local businesses have until 12th June to apply for the third round of the Council's Business Climate Action Grant. Grants of up to £2,500 are on offer to help firms cut carbon emissions. The scheme, funded from the council's climate action fund, is targeting businesses implementing new decarbonisation technologies. Suitable projects include solar panels, heat pumps and energy efficiency measures. Read more here.​

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THIS WEEK

Amy & Carlos Reborn | Assembly Hall | Sun 7 Jun, 7:30pm | Strictly stars perform live dance show | From £38.00

Take Flight | Trinity Theatre | Sun 7 Jun & Mon 8 Jun, 11:00am, 12:30pm & 2:30pm | Aerial theatre for babies and toddlers | From £8.00

Swimrun Bewl | Bewl Water | Sun 7 Jun, all day | Endurance swim-run event, three distances | See details​

Trinity Clocktower Tours | Trinity Theatre | Tue 9 Jun – Tue 21 Jul, various Tuesdays | Behind-the-scenes tours of Trinity's clocktower | See details​

Trinity Encore: Silver Swans | Trinity Theatre | Tue 9 Jun – Tue 21 Jul, weekly Tuesdays | Ballet-inspired movement classes for over-55s | See details​

Michael (12A) | Trinity Theatre | Wed 10 Jun, 2:30pm & 7:30pm | Film biopic of Michael Jackson's life | From £7.00

Old Castle Tours | Scotney Castle | Mon–Wed & Fri, incl. week of 8 Jun, 11:00am | Guided behind-the-scenes castle tour | From £7.00

Scotney Castle Gardens | Scotney Castle | Daily, 10:00am | Award-winning historic garden and estate | See details​

Table Tennis | Sunnyside Hall | Mon & Sun | Play table tennis every week (1st session is free) | £4​

Badminton & Pickleball | Sunnyside Hall | Fri, 6pm | Play badminton & pickleball every week (1st session is free) | £5​

FURTHER OUT

Cars at the Castle | Hever Castle | Sat 13 Jun – Sun 14 Jun | Classic car show included in admission | Included with admission​

Repair Café | Trinity Theatre | Sat 20 Jun, 10:00am | Free community repairs for household items | Free entry

Bewl Marathon | Bewl Water | Sat 13 Jun, all day | Trail running: 10k, half, full, and ultra | See details​

Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra | Assembly Hall | Wed 24 Jun | Live music from the legendary bandleader | Book now​

Cinderella — Kids' Dance Auditions | Assembly Hall | Sun 14 Jun | Kids audition for panto dance roles | Book now​

SPORT

Results:

🏏 7th Jun - The Mote vs. Tunbridge Wells Women's - TW won by 8 wickets.

🏏 6th Jun - St Lawrence & Highland Court vs. Tunbridge Wells (Abandoned)

Fixtures:

🏏 13th Jun - Tunbridge Wells vs. Minster (Sheppey)

THANK YOU

Hope you enjoyed this week's letter!

Jamie

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