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Tunbridge Wells News
Council decisions, crime, planning rows and community life in Tunbridge Wells - covered as it happens.
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74 total
MTW Hospitals Cut Hearing Aid Wait From 13 Months to Under Two Weeks
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has slashed its audiology waiting list from 1,300 to 334 patients by posting pre-programmed hearing aids straight to people with mild to moderate hearing loss, cutting their wait from a peak of 13 months to under two weeks - a model NHS England and the RNID are now reviewing as a blueprint for the rest of the country.
The Pantiles' Christmas Market Returns for 2026, With a New Nutcracker Trail
The Pantiles' free Boutique Christmas Market comes back for 22 dates between 13 November and Christmas Eve, with wooden chalets, a Bandstand entertainment programme and, new this year, a Nutcracker Trail with a £150 prize draw.
Old Auction House Near the Pantiles Seeks Later Licence as Neighbours Object Over Noise
Tunbridge Wells councillors will decide on Thursday 1 October whether The Old Auction House on Linden Park Road can sell alcohol and play music until 23:59 every day. Seven neighbours have objected over noise, while the venue says it only wants flexibility for occasional private events.
Repairs to the Pantiles Colonnade Are Due to Start Before the End of September
Repair work on the Grade II listed colonnade along the Pantiles' Upper Walk is due to begin this month, according to a report to Tunbridge Wells Cabinet, with the most urgent repairs promised within 12 months and signs telling visitors businesses are open as usual.
Tunbridge Wells Council Forecasts a £525,000 Overspend, and the Leisure Centre Collapse Costs More Than That
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council expects to spend £525,000 more than budgeted on services this year, but the collapse of leisure operator Fusion Lifestyle accounts for £630,000 of pressure, so the rest of the budget is running about £105,000 under.
West Kent's Hospital Trust Beats National Average on Waiting Lists, But A&E Still Under Pressure
NHS England's official statistics show Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust outperforming the national average and its Kent neighbours on planned treatment waiting times, with long waits nearly eliminated - but the trust's A&E departments still recorded 272 patients waiting over 12 hours to be admitted in a single month.
CCTV Appeal After Overnight Break-In at Southborough Tesco Express
Kent Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to identify after a break-in at the Tesco Express near St Andrews Park Road in Southborough in the early hours of Wednesday 16 September, in which a quantity of cash was stolen.
More Than 3,000 Packets of Illicit Cigarettes Seized From Paddock Wood Shop
Kent Police and Trading Standards officers seized more than 3,000 packets of untaxed cigarettes hidden in makeshift hides at a Commercial Road shop in Paddock Wood. A 34-year-old man from Tunbridge Wells was arrested and has been released on bail until 1 December.
A New Welfare Row Has Broken Out in Parliament - What It Actually Says, and What Kent's Own Numbers Show
The Government has confirmed 200,000 UK families received more in benefits and tax credits last year than the average worker earns, reigniting the welfare debate at Westminster. There's no equivalent breakdown for Kent specifically, but the county's own claimant figures give a sense of the scale involved locally.