Four years ago the Times was created to support local businesses, the community at large and to promote all that’s great about our town.
This week we launch a campaign to reinforce that commitment because Tunbridge Wells is on the cusp of changes that will transform the town in which we live and work.
But it will not be pain free.
Last week saw the start of pedestrianising the road past the War Memorial into the town centre. There may well be traffic delays, noise and some dust with more to come as other projects get underway over the coming months and years. It’s estimated they’ll cost in the region of £500million.
Think the old cinema site, the new library and museum, the upgrading of Royal Victoria Place shopping centre and the planned civic complex along with a theatre.
And yes the councils both borough and county will not always get it right. Who does?
Ask, yourself, though what’s the alternative?
We can bury our heads in the sand and watch the town centre slowly wither and die as many others will over the coming decades.
Or we can accept that we are entering a defining moment for Tunbridge Wells and throw our support behind the initiatives that will keep our community alive and vibrant.
Sadly there are those among us who only see negatives where there are positives.
This newspaper last month carried a front page story about tourism putting £278million into the local economy. Great news, you might think? Not for some who through social media talked it all down.
Then last week the Times ran another front page story on the fact that work will actually start this summer on our biggest ‘grot spot’ the old cinema site.
We have waited almost 20 years for this to happen, so good news? Again there were some who took to social media declaring that we don’t need more shops, a small part of the development, in the town centre. Really?
We live in uncertain times although some things are in our own hands, such as seeing the positives instead of the negatives.
This campaign is aimed at highlighting all that’s good about our town and inviting those who share our views and values to register their support.
It’s called We Believe in Tunbridge Wells (#WeBelieveTWells).
