Английская Википедия:Borough of Tunbridge Wells
Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox settlement The Borough of Tunbridge Wells is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. It takes its name from its main town, Royal Tunbridge Wells. The borough also contains the towns of Paddock Wood and Southborough, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Large parts of the borough fall within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The neighbouring districts are Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone, Ashford, Rother and Wealden.
History
The town of Tunbridge Wells had been governed by improvement commissioners from 1835.[1] The commissioners' district was reconstituted as a local government district in 1860, which in turn became a municipal borough in 1889.[2][3] That first borough of Tunbridge Wells was renamed "Royal Tunbridge Wells" in 1909 following a petition from the borough council to Edward VII.[4]
The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of three former districts and parts of a fourth, which were all abolished at the same time:[5]
- Cranbrook Rural District
- Tonbridge Rural District (except parishes of Hadlow and Hildenborough, which went to Tonbridge and Malling)
- Royal Tunbridge Wells Municipal Borough
- Southborough Urban District
The new district was named Tunbridge Wells after the area's largest town, but without the Royal prefix.[6] The district was not initially granted borough status.[7] The council resolved to petition for it in June 1974 and a borough charter was received on 20 December 1974, allowing the chair of the council to take the title mayor.[8][9]
Governance
Шаблон:Infobox legislature Tunbridge Wells Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Kent County Council. Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[10]
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2021. Following the 2022 election a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, local party the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, Labour and an independent councillor took control of the council, with the same coalition continuing following the 2023 election.[11][12]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[13][14]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 1974–1994 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 1994–1996 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 1996–1998 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 1998–2021 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 2021–present |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Tunbridge Wells. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1998 have been:[15]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
James Scholes[16] | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 1998 | 21 May 2002 | |
Len Horwood | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 21 May 2002 | 30 Jun 2004 | |
Melvyn Howell | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 30 Jun 2004 | 23 May 2007 | |
Roy Bullock | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 23 May 2007 | 19 Jan 2011 | |
Bob Atwood | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 19 Jan 2011 | 6 May 2012 | |
David Jukes | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 23 May 2012 | 5 May 2019 | |
Alan McDermott | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 22 May 2019 | 26 May 2021 | |
Tom Dawlings | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 26 May 2021 | 25 May 2022 | |
Ben Chapelard | Шаблон:Party name with colour | 25 May 2022 |
Composition
Following the 2023 election and two subsequent changes of allegiance in July and August 2023, the composition of the council was:[17][18][19]
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 17 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 11 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 10 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 7 | |
Шаблон:Party name with colour | 3 | |
Total | 48 |
Two of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independents for Tunbridge Wells" group.[20] The next elections are due in 2024.
Elections
Шаблон:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 20 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time for a four year term of office. Kent County Council elections are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.[21]
In the 2016 European Union referendum, Tunbridge Wells was the only district in Kent that voted to remain in the EU (54.89%).
Premises
The council is based at Tunbridge Wells Town Hall on Mount Pleasant Road, which had been completed in 1941 for the old Royal Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.[22]
Geography
The borough of Tunbridge Wells lies along the south western border of Kent, partly on the northern edge of the Weald, the remainder on the Weald Clay plain in the upper reaches of the rivers Teise and Beult.
Much of the borough lies within the High Weald, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The presence of sandstone outcrops and the chalybeate springs, together with old workings, point to ancient iron manufacturing in the area.
The Weald Clay plain along the northern edge of the borough forms part of the so-called Garden of England, named for its extensive orchards and former hop farms, sheep and cattle. A string of villages lies across this plain, from Brenchley and Horsmonden to Benenden and Headcorn.
Transport
The main roads through the borough are the A21 London to Hastings road and in the east, the A229, which runs from the A21 at Hurst Green through Cranbrook to Maidstone.
There is a railway line across the clay plain in an almost unbroken straight line between Redhill, Tonbridge and Ashford, Kent. The SER line to Hastings passes through Tunbridge Wells; here there was once a further branch connection south-eastwards to Groombridge, and at Paddock Wood is the southern terminus of the Medway Valley Line to Maidstone.
Places of interest
Apart from Tunbridge Wells itself, places of interest in the Borough include:
- Bedgebury Pinetum
- Bewl Water reservoir near Lamberhurst for leisure water pursuits and outdoor conferences
- Sissinghurst Castle gardens: the home of Vita Sackville-West
- facilities for rock-climbing at the 'High Rocks', 2 miles west of Tunbridge Wells
See also
References
External links
Шаблон:Royal Tunbridge Wells Шаблон:Tunbridge Wells Шаблон:Kent Шаблон:SE England
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:London Gazette
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite book
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite legislation UK
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite legislation UK
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite legislation UK
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite legislation UK
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web