Consultation promised at Cabinet meeting

A Cabinet meeting took place on Wednesday 20 July 2022.

At their meeting Cabinet members agreed that proposed increases to parking charges in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood and Southborough be subject to a four-week public consultation.

Members also agreed that a separate consultation will be held over the proposed introduction of parking charges in Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells.

Speaking after the meeting Council Leader Ben Chapelard said: ‘Tonight, the Borough Partnership Cabinet took decisive and urgent action to tackle the forecast multi-million pound deficit. As part of that action I am proud to say that the Cabinet has agreed to look to raise £100,000 to support the neediest and poorest residents in the borough through our Community Support Fund.

There are no plans to cut services but if we do not act now it will be more and more difficult to protect the services that residents have come to expect from the Council.’

Safeguarding finances is one of the Borough Partnership’s key priorities, the Focus on Five:

Safeguarding finances
Vibrant and safer town and villages
Carbon reduction
Genuinely affordable housing and social rental housing
Digital access, transparency and local democracy

Other decisions

During the meeting members agreed that surplus assets: Mount Pleasant Avenue Car Park, Great Hall Yard Car Park, the Gateway and Land at Warwick Park, could be listed for disposal.

The Cabinet also agreed the recommendations of the report which detailed the Council’s proposals for the £1m allocated to the borough through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

All the decisions made at the meeting can be seen in full in the Decisions taken by the Cabinet on Wednesday, 20 July 2022 document.

Consultation

Information about how residents can respond to the consultation on car parking charges is expected to be available on the Council's website from Monday 25 July.