WEST KENT NEWS

Water bills in West Kent are to rise by around 50% over the next five years.

Kent County Council and all Kent's Borough Councils are set to be replaced by 3 or 4 unitary authorities, with next May's local elections possibly abandoned.

Both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are likely to lose their Borough Councils under changes just announced by the Labour government.

The Liberal Democrat council in Tunbridge Wells has abandoned proposals to stop through traffic from using many residential roads in the town.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council says a tree planting scheme which was promised at the last local elections has got underway.

The next Black Deer American music festival has been cancelled but organisers hope the event will return in 2026.

A petition opposing a big housing development south of Tunbridge Wells has reached 1,000 signatures.

Labour ministers have approved a big housing scheme on fields near Cranbrook which the previous Conservative administration had blocked.

Taxi fares in Tunbridge Wells are rising sharply, making it the second priciest place in Kent to get a cab.

Kent County Council is pressing ahead with the sale of its 200 year old headquarters building in Maidstone.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says his fledgling party is “going all out” to win seats at the currently Conservative-run Kent County Council next May.

Changes to inheritance tax rules announced in the autumn budget have sent shock waves through Kent’s farming community.

Christmas lights, decorations, a light show on the Opera House and a festive family trail are aimed at attracting visitors into Tunbridge Wells.

A big new housing estate in Sevenoaks has been approved despite parts of it being likened to a cluster of boils.

A decision on whether to build a massive “new town” in the north Kent countryside has been taken out of local hands, signalling what could happen in the rest of Kent.

There's concern about traffic gridlock if a development at Hubbles Farm in Pembury goes ahead.

Plans have been drawn up to turn the Groombridge Place moated manor house into a luxury hotel, restaurant and spa.

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Local residents and the UK glass industry have expressed regret over the recent removal of the recycling areas for bottles in the Tonbridge Sainsbury’s car park.

A pop-up theatre is to open for December in the main shopping centre in Tunbridge Wells.

The Folly Wildlife Rescue centre near Tunbridge Wells says its future has been secured.

Southborough's church clock that looks down over the town's picturesque cricket pitch is striking the hour once again.

The bells of Tonbridge Parish church bells are undergoing a major restoration.

Work has begun on a new walking and cycling route in Sevenoaks.