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onal Wednesday November 15 | 2023
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WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: Reverend Jeremy Ive led the Remembrance service on Sunday at the War Memorial. He was joined by the Mayor (Cllr) Hugh Patterson, members of the Royal British Legion and political parties. For more see page 2
Tudeley campaign victory as development set to be shelved By Grace Corcoran CONTROVERSIAL housing plans for Tudeley Village are set to be withdrawn by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council following recommendations set out by officers in a revised development strategy. On Monday November 13, members of the advisory board unanimously agreed that the 2,800 homes planned for Tudeley Village in Capel Parish be dropped from the Local Plan.
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Picture: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
.co.uk
Meeting Councillor for Capel Ward Hugh Patterson, Mayor and Chair of Capel Parish Council, spoke at the Cabinet meeting in favour of the Inspector’s recommendations to remove Tudeley
Village from the Plan. He told the Times: “I think Tudeley clearly lacked the infrastructure necessary to support 2,800 new homes. The Planning Inspector required more evidence to remove the site from the Green Belt and TWBC was unable to provide it. This represents a victory for a community campaign led by the Save Capel and Capel Parish Council which has fought hard over the last four and a half years to protect the nature of this rural parish.” He added: “I also welcome the reduced numbers of houses planned in East Capel, and I am pleased they will no longer be built in areas vulnerable to fluvial flooding. However, there are still questions to be answered about the remaining allocation.” Inspector Matthew Birkinshaw’s initial findings were received by TWBC in
November 2022, in which concerns surrounding the proposed developments including congestion, flooding and deliverability were raised. The Times has reported extensively on the contentious plans for the development, proposed to help the Council meet the government housing targets of building over 13,000 new homes by 2038. In response to the proposed developments first drafted in 2019, a campaign group ‘Save Capel’ was formed to try block the development. Stewart Gledhill, Chairman of Save Capel, said at the meeting on Monday (November 13): “In 2019 there was an overwhelming objection to the proposal in the unprecedented 8,000 responses to the public consultation. “Despite this, the Council persisted and
INSIDE: Mayor’s Toy Appeal for Christmas 2023 launches – page 3
TWODS - A Chorus Line Times of TW Ad 45x194 30/10/2023 + 3mm bleed12:40 300DPI