Wednesday October 18 | 2017
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House prices in town soar by 30 per cent to buck national trend
KNIT FOR VICTORY
Town needs your poppies for remembrance carpet Page 2
By Katie Harris THE value of houses in some parts of Tonbridge are more than a third higher in real terms than a decade ago – going against the national trend of falling property prices. BBCresearch shows the cost of homes in Cage Green has grown by 38 per cent to an average of £495,000. Houses in the Vauxhall (average £357,500) and Judd wards of south Tonbridge have risen in value by 33 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.
No surprise The cost of residential properties has also increased significantly in Hildenborough (17 per cent, £500,000). The biggest difference across the borough of Tonbridge & Malling since 2007 was in the ward of Wrotham, Ightham and Stansted, which has seen a 44 per cent rise to £800,000. The Pantiles and St Mark’s wards of Tunbridge Wells have more than doubled, increasing by 54 per cent to an average price of £640,000. Ross Davies, Partner at Knight Frank LLP, said: “It is no surprise to see the research, given that we have some of the finest schools in the area, good road and rail commuter links, an array of attractive architecture and a real sense of community within the town.”
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT Your local fireworks displays including the Angels Page 10
TICKLED PINK: Tonbridge School held a Pink Day to mark the 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer Care’s pink ribbon campaign. The Cawthorne Lecture Theatre was wrapped in a gigantic sash and bow, while geography teacher Chris Henshall looked fetching in his feather boa, tutu and furry leg warmers
Council sells River Lawn to make up for Teen and Twenty Club discount By Andy Tong THE campaign to save River Lawn will carry on despite the decision of the Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] Cabinet to sell the land to private developers. The protest group Keep River Lawn Green is consulting property experts about aspects of the controversial sale and will also be calling for the creation of a town council to handle issues such as the disposal of publicly owned assets in Tonbridge. The Times has learned that the sale was always going to be approved – despite widespread acrimony – in order to make up the shortfall after TMBC had offered the adjacent Teen & Twenty Club site on River Walk to developers at a discount.
Last week the Cabinet voted by four to one at Kings Hill to proceed with the sale for the construction of private housing despite the vocal opposition of more than half a dozen of its own councillors.
‘Without certainty as to what will go on this piece of land I cannot approve this sale’ The representatives who were not in favour of the deal spoke at the meeting but were barred from voting because the TMBC constitution unusually stipulates that decisions are taken by the six-person Cabinet and do not have to be put to Full Council. The vote was in fact made by five people instead of six – Cllr Sophie Shrubsole was
absent. The lone dissenting voice in the Cabinet was Cllr Maria Heslop, who described the vote as ‘possibly the hardest decision I have ever had to make’. The Cabinet member for Community Services accepted the sale would help to protect public services, which are being hit hard by a £1.6million budget deficit. However, the councillor for Vauxhall, who is married to council Leader Nicolas Heslop, added: “Without certainty as to what will go on this piece of land I cannot approve this sale. “I also felt, as the only south Tonbridge cabinet member, I had a responsibility to reflect the significant opposition that local people have expressed to the plans to sell.”
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POLISHED DIAMOND Tonbridge Baseball Club finds a new home to run Page 94
DOUBLE FIGURE FUN
Angels Ladies hammer rivals Barming with 11 goals Page 95