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Wednesday November 16 | 2022
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SILENT TRIBUTE Tunbridge Wells falls silent on Remembrance Sunday Full story page 4 Visit us at: Russell House, Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1RZ. Our shop is open: Tues – Fri 10.00am - 5.00pm Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm Tel: (01892) 526659 www.brittensmusic.co.uk
Crunch time for Planning Committee as it prepares to vote on ABC Cinema site By Lilly Croucher THE Planning Committee at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) will vote this evening (Wednesday November 16) on the fate of the town’s most notorious plot of land, after a recommendation to grant permission was published last week. The former ABC Cinema site may finally see some resolution after sitting empty in the middle of the town centre for more than 20 years. This evening, the 14 members of the Planning Committee, chaired by Cllr Trevor Poile (Lib Dem), are set to vote on granting planning permission for the derelict site on Mount Pleasant Road. In a report published for the committee last week (November 8), it was
recommended that planning permission be granted for the ambitious project, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement.
‘According to the report, the development will boost the local economy by £1.5million annually through spending by the new residents’ Under the agreement, developer Retirement Villages Group (RVG), part of the same group that runs the town’s largest employer AXA Health, would contribute £233,884.08 for community
projects and spending. The Section 106 agreement includes £72,576.86 for Tunbridge Wells Cultural Hub, covering libraries, adult education and social care. A further £30,489.22 will go towards expansion of the town’s waste transfer station and Household Waste Recycling Centre. Meanwhile, £33,200 will mitigate the impact of the development on The Common, while £46,670 will be allocated for the provision of an electric car club vehicle and associated running and infrastructure costs. RVG will also contribute £50,000 towards sustainable transport and £948
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