Dear Supporters
Is the local plan turning into Calverley Park 2.0?
There are echoes of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) spending precious funds unnecessarily on yet another bad idea. Having already spent £1.27m on advisors for the Local Plan prior to the Inspector’s findings in November 2022, the Council has set aside another £851,000 for further consultant fees and counsel advice. The Inspector’s clear preference is that Tudeley Village is deleted, which is supported by Greg Clark MP and neighbouring Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. So, why is TWBC dithering, delaying, and spending even more money to justify the other less favourable options which have already been independently identified as unlikely to be viable?
Save Capel believes that the borough needs a new sustainable Local Plan, one that provides truly affordable housing for its local residents, as soon as possible. Chairman, Stewart Gledhill, said: “The Inspector is clear that retaining Tudeley Village in the plan would add significant delays to the examination process and is not without risk. We believe the Council should drop the proposal and focus on the implications and other soundness issues identified by the Inspector. This affects all taxpayers in our borough due to the costs, risks, and further delay.”
Save Capel is asking all residents who have a vote on May 4th to choose the candidate who they believe will ensure their taxes are not wasted and will help adopt a Local Plan which meets the needs of all the borough’s towns and villages.
As ever, the Save Capel Executive would like to thank you all for your continuing support. We’d love to hear from you via email to savecapel@gmail.com
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!
Stewart, Ian, Dave, Maggie, Charlie, Jan, Mark, and Chris
