Tunbridge Wells & district · Local news you can trust
Polls open 7am to 10pm on Wednesday 23 September in Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and Frittenden. Four candidates, photo ID needed, winner serves only to May 2027.
Read the full story
Planning
Tunbridge Wells Local Plan: 1,098 New Homes a Year
The government's figure for the borough is now 1,098 homes a year, 62% above the plan adopted in December. Land can be put forward until 28 September.
Bonfire Night
Tunbridge Wells Fireworks: Dunorlan Park, Sat 7 November
Round Table has confirmed Dunorlan Park for Saturday 7 November 2026, and Benenden runs the same night. Hawkhurst is taking the whole year off.
Christmas
SKATE Tunbridge Wells: rink returns in 2026, dates unset
The council's own tourism site says the Calverley Grounds rink is back for 2026, but no dates or prices are out and the SKATE booking address currently 404s.
Christmas
Tunbridge Wells Christmas Kick Off: Saturday 14 November
The town's lights event is the Christmas Kick Off on Saturday 14 November, confirmed by the BID. Every festive date from 7 November to 3 January, in one list.
Christmas
Tunbridge Wells Panto 2026: Cinderella, 12 to 31 December
Cinderella runs at the Assembly Hall from 12 December, and Elf The Musical is at Trinity from 11 December. Full dates, times and the cheapest days to book.
Events
Tunbridge Wells Drone Show: 26 Sept, and a Parking Ban
Space Safari lands at Dunorlan Park on Saturday 26 September. Two ticket releases have sold out, and three roads lose parking from Friday noon.
Food and drink
Tunbridge Wells Food Festival: 26-27 Sept, Free Entry
Free entry, 11am to 6pm and a £9 cap on every street food dish. The Tunbridge Wells Food and Drink Festival is at Calverley Grounds on 26 and 27 September.
Food hygiene
Tunbridge Wells Food Hygiene: One Venue Rated 1 in July
A Silverdale Road bakery scored 1 and a Matfield pub scored 2 in July's hygiene ratings. Of the borough's 1,043 rated businesses, 867 hold a 5 and none a zero.
Knights Wood
Knights Wood developer must pay £5.4m tax on 550 homes
An Upper Tribunal has upheld a £5.4m corporation tax bill on the Isle of Man company behind Knights Wood, which returned £28.3m of profit from the 550-home estate.
Hawkhurst
Eight Bells Hawkhurst: pub company goes into liquidation
The company behind the Eight Bells at Hawkhurst passed a winding-up resolution on 18 August, ten days after the pub shut. Two liquidators from Begbies Traynor are appointed.
Planning
Tunbridge Wells Common: The Lodge approved for four flats
Four flats were approved at The Lodge on the Common on 21 August, by a route that could not weigh the objections from the Forum and the Commons Conservators.
House prices
Tunbridge Wells House Prices Fall 3%, Alone in Kent
The average Tunbridge Wells home lost £13,860 in a year, to £445,133. It is the only one of Kent's 13 areas down over 12 months, and the lowest since March 2025.
T Wells, because nobody local says the whole thing twice in one conversation. The town grew up around the spring on the Pantiles, got its Royal in 1909 and has been explaining the difference between itself and Tonbridge ever since. They are separate towns, five miles apart, in separate boroughs, and plenty of post has been to both before it got where it was going.
This site covers the Tunbridge Wells borough: the town and the Common, Southborough, Rusthall, Pembury, Paddock Wood, Cranbrook and the Weald villages out towards Hawkhurst. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council decides planning, bins, car parks and licensing here, Kent County Council runs the roads and schools, and both publish their evidence where hardly anybody reads it. We read it and write it up, with a link to the document.
If we cannot show you the document, we do not print the claim.