Wednesday June 27 | 2018
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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
INSIDE
£90m Calverley Square could be challenged in courts by judicial review
ADDED VALUE
Community benefits from sponsorship deals Page 14-15
Exclusive by Jonathan Banks
Objections Critics of the development have raised objections, including that the cost is too much and the large design could spoil the surrounding landscape. A legal challenge is one of the few remaining chances opponents have to stop the process.
PHOTO: Carolina Faruolo
MOVES are being made to challenge Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in the courts over their planned £90million Calverley Square. The Times understands that legal papers have been filed by an individual associated with the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, the political party founded to oppose the development. Planning permission has been granted for the development, which will see a theatre, offices and council chambers built on land next to Calverley Grounds.
Continued on page 2
Ice rink venue makes £56k for town council Page 3
TWILIGHT ZONE: Plans are already underway for another Black Deer Festival next year at Eridge Park after last weekend’s inaugural event attracted thousands of country and Americana fans. Full review pages 4-5
Leader says ‘no malice’ intended in his remarks about part-time workers By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
BOB ATWOOD Tunbridge Wells Alliance Chairman
A COOL SUCCESS
COUNTY HALL Leader Paul Carter has emailed his workforce of more than 10,000 to apologise for comments, viewed by some as ‘sex discrimination’, that he made about part-time workers. In his message, he told Kent County Council workers that ‘no malice’ was intended and that the way some sections of the media reported his remarks ‘does not reflect’ his views. The Tunbridge Wells Women’s Equality Party has criticised the Conservative for suggesting part-time employees ‘prioritise their families’ rather than their jobs. Cllr Carter made the comments at a meeting of the council’s Personnel Committee last week.
He spoke out after statistics into County Hall productivity showed that 28 per cent of part-time staff ‘exceeded expectations’ for work targets compared to 42 per cent of full-time staff. “Their priorities are different from their jobs because their primary role is to
‘Be assured that I take the issue of fairness very seriously’ KCC Leader Paul Carter make sure that their family is right and appropriate,” said Cllr Carter. “I’m sure [parents] are amazingly efficient with their time with having to drop your child off at childcare then get back for a certain time.
“Then they [the childcare facility] ring up and say that your child is not terribly well and they are a bit concerned about it. “You are bound to get a diversion away from work, it is human nature.” Cllr Carter faced a backlash after his views were reported in the media. Dr Amanda Turner, of the Women’s Equality Party’s Tunbridge Wells branch, said: “We are shocked by Cllr Carter’s comments. “They are unsupportive and discriminatory. They suggest that paid workers with caring responsibilities, the majority of whom will be women, should be paid less because their commitment and output is less. “Since most part-time workers are
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LOVE AND WAR
Birdsong wings its way to the Assembly Hall Page 64-65
CRUISE CONTROL
This summer’s hottest places to visit Page 80-81