The Full Council of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council met on Wednesday 14 October 2026. Key decisions included a pause on the establishment of a town council pending clarity on local government reorganisation, and the adoption of new procedures for the Planning Committee to comply with national legislation. The council also noted the Audit and Governance Annual Report for 2025/26 and authorised the Common Seal of the Council to be affixed to any contract, minute notice, or other document arising out of the minutes, or any pursuant to any delegation, authority, or power conferred by the Council.

Changes to the Planning Committee

The council agreed to implement significant changes to its Planning Committee procedures to comply with the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which came into effect on 31 October 2026. These changes, detailed in the report Changes to the Planning Committee Supplementary Agenda Pack 14th-Oct-2026 18.30 Full Council.pdf, introduce a national scheme of delegation for planning applications.

Under the new regulations, planning applications will be categorised into Schedule 1 (automatically delegated to officers) and Schedule 2 (delegated to officers unless a referral test is met and agreed by both the nominated officer and nominated member). This means that ward members will no longer have the ability to call-in applications to the Planning Committee. The council also agreed to the proposed agenda setting protocol for the Planning Committee, as outlined in Appendix B - Planning Committee Agenda Setting Protocol FINAL.pdf. Councillor Matt Lowe, Cabinet Member for Planning, introduced the report, acknowledging the disquiet, frustration, anger amongst members at the content of these changes but stressed that the reforms were mandatory. Despite significant debate and opposition from several councillors, including Councillor David Hayward and Councillor David Knight, who argued that the changes would diminish residents' representation and local democratic accountability, the motion to approve the changes was carried by 23 votes to 10, with 2 abstentions.

Motion on Notice: Pause on Town Council Implementation

A motion proposed by Councillor Ben Chapelard, Leader of the Council, to pause the implementation of the decision to establish the Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Council was carried by 18 votes to 15, with 2 abstentions. The motion, detailed in the document Motion on Notice from Councillor Chapelard Chapelard Motion on Notice from Councillor Chapelard Chapelard.pdf, was brought forward due to the government's decision to pause its Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) plans for Kent. Councillor Chapelard argued that proceeding with the town council without clarity on LGR would be premature, potentially lead to an extra layer of bureaucracy, and risk duplicating council functions. He emphasised that the motion was not about cancelling the town council but about pausing its implementation to align with the LGR timetable, ensuring it would be established with a mandate and support from residents.

The debate saw strong opposition from several councillors, including Councillor Hugo Pound and Councillor David Osborne, who argued that the town council should proceed regardless of LGR and that the pause was a missed opportunity for localism. Councillor Osborne stated that Tunbridge Wells would be the only part of West Kent without a town council if the motion was passed. However, Councillor Christopher Hall, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property, supported the pause, arguing it was a pragmatic decision to ensure the town council was established at the right time and with the right information, avoiding unnecessary costs for residents.

Motion on Notice: Costs of Local Government Reorganisation

Councillor Thomas Mobbs proposed a motion, detailed in Motion on Notice from Councillor Mobbs Mobbs Motion on Notice from Councillor Mobbs Mobbs.pdf, calling for the council to establish the costs incurred due to the government's Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process and to seek reimbursement from the government. The motion also requested clarity on the future of LGR before further expenditure. Councillor Mobbs argued that residents should not bear the cost of the government's indecision.

Councillor Hugo Pound moved a procedural motion to proceed to the next business, arguing that the motion was point scoring and that the council should seek professional, financial, and legal advice directly. This procedural motion was carried, meaning Councillor Mobbs' motion was not debated further.

South East Water Task and Finish Group: Draft Final Report

Councillor Andy Fairweather, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, presented the draft final report of the Task and Finish Group on South East Water. The report, detailed in South East Water Task and Finish Group: Draft Final Report South East Water Task and Finish Group: Draft Final Report.pdf, highlighted a Trust Gap between residents and South East Water, noting that while utilities own the assets and control communications, the council bears the community impact. The report concluded that there was a lack of confidence in water supplies being sufficient for current and future housing needs.

The group made several recommendations, including inviting South East Water to provide an update on progress during the 2027/28 committee cycle, holding a separate meeting to discuss improved communication with residents, and considering a pilot project for a joint one-stop shop for residents to report issues. These recommendations were agreed by the council.

Civic Award

The council agreed to the award of a Civic Medallion to an individual who has provided decades of service to the community, particularly supporting Armed Forces veterans and memorials. The recipient's identity was kept confidential in Exempt Appendix A of the report Civic Medallion Nomination Civic Medallion Nomination.pdf. Councillor Corinna Keefe, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, and Councillor Beverley Palmer, Armed Forces Champion, presented the nomination.

Other Business

The council approved the political balance of committees following recent elections and made appointments to various committees, as detailed in Changes to Political Balance and Appointments to Committees (October 2026) Supplementary Agenda Pack 14th-Oct-2026 18.30 Full Council.pdf. The Audit and Governance Annual Report for 2025/26 was noted, and the Common Seal of the Council was authorised to be affixed to any contract, minute notice, or other document arising out of the minutes, or any pursuant to any delegation, authority, or power conferred by the Council. The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Wednesday 11 November 2026.