Weald council offices plan decision

The Weald Centre Group's proposal for a Cranbrook community centre will not go ahead, it was decided at a cabinet meeting of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council yesterday.

More than 100 people packed the council chamber to hear the future of community facilities in the town be discussed.

The group's proposal led by Sir Kenneth Warren and Denis East, aimed to redevelop the former council offices on the High Street into a self-financing education and community centre.

Despite widespread support from the public, Cranbrook Parish Council and Cranbrook county and borough councillors, the cabinet decided that WCG had not provided enough information to proceed.

During the meeting consultants Baker Tilly, brought in to assess the group's business plan, said it was incomplete and therefore it could not conclude whether or not it was viable.

But a number of councillors expressed reservations about its financial viability, questioning the ability of the group to obtain enough funding for its plan in the current economic climate.

Cllr Catherine Mayhew said: "What concerns me is the cost of the community benefiting from the scheme. I have to be sure the scheme will endure so the community has a lasting facility rather then one based on flimsy information we have currently."

The cabinet voted to continue with alternative plans to redevelop Cranbrook library on Carriers Road into a community hub, and work to provide detailed capital and revenue costs of the proposal in time for the next cabinet meeting in December.

Members also agreed to assess alternative options for facilities in the town, continuing to work with the WCG, the parish council and Kent County Council.

Council leader Cllr Roy Bullock thanked the group, particularly Mr East as head of governors at Angley School.

He said: "The Weald Centre Group have been very conscientious, they have given their own free time, an enormous amount of hours and days."

After the meeting, Mr East said he was "incensed" with the criticism of the business plan he had written.

However, he also added: "I will work with them, we are not going to fight them, we are here for the community and we want to put together a superb 21st century community centre.

"The absurdity of this is this council is planning on spending £1.5m on a site they don't own instead of converting a site they already own."