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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Leisure complex plans for BHS store shelved
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PLANS for a new leisure attraction to feature go karts, cinema and bowling alleys in the former site of the BHS store in Tunbridge Wells have been shelved after the shopping centre owner vetoed the project.
Influence The new attraction by Elite Leisure Collection had been planned to open at the end of the year. But owner of Royal Victoria Place, British Land, which has a minor five per cent stake in the BHS unit, had demanded ‘an unworkable level of influence’ over the plans say developers. Elite Leisure Collection say they are now scouting sites outside the town centre. Full story page 3
Tunbridge Wells still has no Council as fractures appear in coalition plans Liberal Democrat leader already challenged for top job By Richard Williams AN AGREEMENT still hasn’t been reached on who will run the Council in Tunbridge Wells following the defeat of the Conservative party at the local elections earlier this month. Last night as the Times went to press, members of the Lib Dems, Alliance and Labour party were meeting to thrash out a plan to run the town hall as a threeparty coalition. But this newspaper has learnt that the Liberal Democrat group, which is now the largest party at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) and plans to take charge of the authority with help from the other parties, is already in disarray after the leader was challenged for his job. Cllr Ben Chapelard saw his group of councillors increase to 16 from 12 during
the local elections on May 5, which also led to the Conservatives losing eight members at the town hall. Cllr Tom Dawlings who leads the Tory group has announced he will step down at the first Council meeting scheduled for next Wednesday (May 25) to allow the Lib Dems to form a Council with opposition members.
Delayed The Lib Dems are expected to propose Cllr Chapelard for the council leader role, but he needs the backing from the other parties, and ‘positive’ and ‘constructive’ talks took place at the weekend. However, these talks had been delayed, frustrating other parties. And the Times has learnt that the reason talks were delayed, was due to an internal Lib Dem leadership challenge to
Cllr Chapelard. Cllr Mark Ellis, who narrowly retained his St John’s ward seat by four votes to Labour candidate Mike Tapp, is understood to have challenged Cllr Chapelard for the leader’s job. A vote was held among the Lib Dem group and Cllr Ellis was defeated. The news comes after a number of highprofile resignations from the party last year, including former chairman Cllr James Rands, who now sits as an independent. Neither Cllr Chapelard or Cllr Ellis would comment on the leadership challenge but a spokesman for the Lib Dems said it was just ‘part of normal business within the party’ and ‘unrelated to the negotiations with other parties’.
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Wednesday May 18 | 2022