Rubbish collection service relaunched
TAXPAYERS in the borough are set to bail out Spanish rubbish firm, Urbaser, to the tune of £446,750 this year. The unanimous decision by Cabinet was part of the final 2023/24 budget report in which the coalition cabinet, made up of Lib Dem, Labour and Alliance, agreed that payments of almost half a million pounds […]
Funding cuts see bus route changes
BUS passengers will see services slashed again as six routes in Tunbridge Wells are withdrawn by Kent County Council (KCC). From Sunday (February 12), bus routes 6, 255, 277, 293, 296 and TW9 will see services cut down or withdrawn after KCC voted to cut subsidies to 38 bus routes across the county. The six […]
Residents waiting for ‘pothole blitz’ as reports more than quadruple
MOTORISTS will be unsurprised to learn that a record number of potholes in the county were reported to Kent County Council (KCC) last month – with numbers increasing more than four-fold from this time last year. New data from KCC revealed the council had received 9,241 reports of potholes between December 2022 and January 24, […]
Castlemas blames the media for loss of investors after failing to pay workers
DIRECTORS of Tonbridge Christmas event, Castlemas, who failed to pay their staff, performers, and the borough council, have broken their silence. The event organisers have issued a public statement after Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) told organisers they can no longer use council land after it had not paid any of its workers and […]
It’s carry on nursing as ambulance staff and teachers strike over pay
Nurses report for work while other colleagues join walk out AMBULANCE workers serving Tunbridge Wells walked out on Monday as local teachers prepared for their second strike next month. Both are looking for improved pay and conditions. However, NHS nurses at the hospital in Pembury carried on as normal, unlike their colleagues in other […]
Car parks could go in Council asset sale
A CONSULTATION is closing next week (February 9) on plans to sell ‘surplus’ Council assets which could see buildings across the Borough – including five car parks – hit the market. The Asset Management Plan will shape next year’s budget and help the local authority tackle a costly maintenance backlog, said Tunbridge Wells Borough Council […]
Struggling rubbish contractor demands £450,000 for wages and new vehicles
TAXPAYERS’ money could be used to pay out as much as £446,750 to a failing waste collection service that needs money for drivers and leasing a new fleet of vehicles. There was a similar bail out last year. Under proposals by Spanish-owned waste contractor Urbaser, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) and Tonbridge & Malling Borough […]
Council criticises festival as workers are left with no money after event
Organisers of a popular Tonbridge Christmas event have been publicly criticised for failing to pay traders, performers and the borough council. Most of those working at the event were local. The festive fair, Castlemas, took place in December, yet Robert Styles, director of street scene at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) said organisers had […]
Children’s physical activity returns to pre-pandemic levels
The number of children in Kent taking part in the recommended level of physical exercise has returned to the levels seen before the Covid crisis hit. What’s more, a greater number of secondary school girls are playing football, according to a recent survey from Sport England. The Times finds out more… Kent County Council […]
Radio personality will celebrate businesses surviving and thriving
MEDIA celebrity Nick Ferrari plans to offer a boost to companies and individuals who have survived the ‘challenges’ of the past few years when he hosts the Times Business Awards at the end of March. “I’m really looking forward to hosting the Times of Tunbridge Wells Business Awards,” he said. “The past few years have […]
