Work on ABC Cinema site to begin in ‘early 2024’
AN END to Tunbridge Wells’ most infamous eyesore is in sight, as developers have confirmed an approximate start date for construction and announced a new community artwork to smarten up the site’s hoardings. The former ABC Cinema was closed in 2000 and demolished in 2014, but after multiple failed projects, the centrally-located plot has been […]
Parents fear vape shops target children
PARENTS are calling for “urgent action” over concerns that more children will be encouraged to take up vaping following the opening of a new vape shop in Tunbridge Wells, just a short distance from a local secondary school. The new shop opening in London Road, Southborough, is less than a five-minute walk from St Gregory’s […]
Italian food business clashes with RVP over vision for Ely Court
A WAR of words over empty units in Royal Victoria Place’s (RVP) arcade of shops off Camden Road has revealed conflicting visions for the retail site. Eat Italiano, run by career businessman and market trader Egidio Rosa, has opened inside the shopping centre, but the company’s real dream is to take over the entire arcade […]
Protesters rally against HGVs using cut-through
LORRIES using an illegal diversion through a housing estate in Tunbridge Wells sparked a local campaign last week against Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) using the road. Sherwood residents living near Liptraps Lane are “very unhappy” as a result of massive industrial lorries squeezing down the tight residential street. Last Wednesday (July 26), councillors and locals […]
Show goes on despite wind destroying theatre
Hever Festival Theatre suffered a literal blow on Saturday July 15 when a branch from the iconic tulip tree on the theatre lawn broke off, fell on the theatre, and damaged the theatre roof beyond repair. Theatre Director Ailsa Molyneux says: “We are heartbroken as you can imagine… but we are not giving up”. On […]
Delays follow start of Pembury Road gas works
THE start of a six-week project to replace gas main pipes on Pembury Road (A264) has begun, resulting in heavier traffic on the A26 and the threat of delays to bin collections and transport to hospital. The A264 is closed to vehicles between its junction with the A21/A228 and the junction with Blackhurst Lane and […]
Family desperate for SEN place after being ‘failed’ by Council
A TUNBRIDGE Wells mother who has been waiting a year and a half for appropriate school placement for her autistic son believes that the County Council has “given up” on her child. Jemma Maddock, the mother of five-year-old Arthur Maddock, who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has been attempting to enrol her son into a […]
Error in traffic ban fine leads to successful appeal
MOTORISTS contravening a bus lane in Tunbridge Wells could see their fines overturned as incorrect wording on the letters has meant the fines are legally defective. From the traffic ban on Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) has issued more than 25,373 penalties since enforcement commenced on March 20, hitting each driver with […]
Tunbridge Wells comes out tops
While Tunbridge Wells has long been hailed for its upmarket eateries, boutique shopping, plentiful green spaces and exceptional schooling, some of our residents have been making an impact at both regional and national levels. This week, the Times proudly celebrates several of those who help to make our town exceptional. The gardens and green spaces […]
Road closures and traffic disruptions to start this week in Tunbridge Wells
The start of the school summer holidays will see several road closures and roadworks causing delays around Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area. Included in the series of disruptions is the closure of the A264 Pembury Road for nearly six weeks to allow for new plastic piping to replace the old gas mains between Blackhurst […]
