The Licensing Committee of Tunbridge Wells Council met on Tuesday 22 September 2026 and unanimously agreed to amend the Street Trading Policy to allow for an additional day of trading per year to support Christmas initiatives. The meeting also confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting.

Street Trading Policy Review

The committee unanimously agreed to amend the council's Street Trading Policy to permit one additional day of street trading per year. This change is intended to support the Christmas Kick Off Street Trading initiative, which aims to boost the local economy during the festive period.

The proposal to add an extra Saturday per year for Christmas trading had been put out for public consultation between 20 July and 20 August 2026. Of the 26 responses received, 25 were in favour of the proposal, with one objection. The consultation was promoted widely, including visits to businesses in the Calverley Precinct, Monson Road, and Mount Pleasant Road areas, as well as letters sent to local residents. The Royal Tunbridge Wells Business Improvement District (BID) also promoted the consultation.

Councillor Lynne Darrah raised a question regarding the number of responses, asking if further engagement had taken place with those who responded, particularly concerning suggestions for more events or extended market periods. Hilary Smith, Economic Development Manager, explained that while no additional engagement had occurred since the consultation closed, the BID was still seeking additional stallholders and was keen to involve community groups. She also addressed concerns raised in the single negative response, noting that the BID would provide earlier notifications to businesses and residents for future events and that arrangements for rubbish clearance were being made, with the council's waste services having assisted in the previous year.

Councillor Darrah also highlighted that some respondents had expressed interest in participating and requested more information, which had not yet been fully addressed. Ms. Smith confirmed that any interested parties would be passed to the BID.

Councillor Johnson expressed strong support for the proposal, recalling the success of previous events and suggesting that Royal Tunbridge Wells Business Improvement District (BID) could be more involved in future initiatives to increase footfall. Councillor Heywood also supported the proposal, stating that the negative responses were statistically insignificant and that his view had not changed since the initial proposal. Councillor Matthew Sankey added that he would like to see more large-scale events and fewer individual traders operating randomly across the town.

The decision to amend the policy was made to support the local economy and develop a more vibrant town centre, aligning with the council's objective to foster economic growth. The report noted that while this might result in a minor loss of revenue from existing traders who currently use the space under the main street trading policy, the overall aim is to ensure viable and sustainable services funded by fee-payers. The management and monitoring of the consent regime are expected to continue within existing resources, with the Calverley Road Sunday Special Street Trading Consent being the responsibility of the consent holder or approved third parties.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Licensing Committee, held on 30 June 2026, were approved as a correct record. No issues were raised regarding their accuracy.