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Wednesday May 15 | 2019
Banner vandal strikes again A VANDAL who has been slashing banners advertising the many events and festivals in and around Tunbridge Wells, has struck again. As reported in the Times a fortnight ago, around nine banners advertising Jazz on The Pantiles had been slashed just days after event organiser Julian Leefe-Griffiths had them put up. Now banners situated around the junction of Mount Pleasant Road and the High Street have been attacked. The slashed banners are promoting various events, including Pub in the Park and last week’s Pantiles Food Festival. Last week, an onlooker called the Times to say a figure in a dark hoody was lingering around the banners during the evening, but the unknown man disappeared when challenged. Police say they are investigating.
ADVERTISING CUTS Some of the posters targeted
Tories wavering on theatre consider a public referendum and new leader Project should be ‘stopped immediately’ and officers ordered ‘to start withdrawal’ By Richard Williams THE controlling Conservative Group on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is in disarray as it gathers tonight [Wednesday] to find a way forward and elect a new Leader after last week’s disastrous local elections. Tories were left reeling on Friday [May 2] when they picked up just five seats from the 18 they contested. Among those who lost their places were Leader David Jukes and Tracy Moore, seen by some as his successor. Many members blamed the debacle on public opposition to the council’s theatre and civic complex project.
The £90million Calverley Square development, along with national dissent over Theresa May’s handling of Brexit, led to the Conservative Party’s
The Council will have spent £10million on the project by the end of June majority on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council being reduced from 32 to eight. Now senior members of the party, who met in private last night [Tuesday] to discuss the development, are thinking twice about the theatre project,
with many distancing themselves from the plans or refusing to comment on whether they should go ahead. This is despite the scheme receiving independent backing from the Planning Inspector, who released his report into the Council’s use of Compulsory Purchase Orders just as the election results were announced last week. Mr Graham Dudley agreed with the Council’s assessment that the development could bring between £24million and £35million to the region each year. Conversely, the council will have spent £10million on the project by the end of June, money the borough will not get back if the plans are scrapped.
Several cabinet members have already ruled themselves out from taking over the running of the council from Mr Jukes, who lost his Speldhurst and Bidborough seat to Lucy Willis of the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, the party set up to oppose Calverley Square. David Reilly, the current Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance, took to social media to confirm that he would not be throwing his hat into the ring to become the new Leader. He told his Twitter following he would not be standing and added that it was a
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