Council scorecard
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council
- Type
- borough
- Population
- ~134k
- Council website
- www.tmbc.gov.uk
Scorecard
Methodology published 2026-05-18. Pending cells reflect data collection in progress, not methodology uncertainty — they will populate as the underlying data is gathered.
Refuse collection
Missed bin reports, recycling rates, complaint resolution time
Partial Metric 1 score reflecting recycling rate (component 2 of 4, 30% weight) only; the three other components (missed-bin reports per 100k, complaint resolution time, service consistency) remain pending data ingest. T&M 2023-24 recycling rate 41.7% — matches the Kent average exactly. Just below the England average (~44%).
as of 2024 · source
Complaints handling
Volume, response times, LGSCO upheld findings
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
FOI response
Average response time, refusal/exemption rate, compliance with 20-day statutory deadline
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Financial health & budget discipline
Revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgment, council tax positioning + trajectory vs national
Partial Metric 4 score reflecting council tax positioning (component 5 of 6) only; the five other components (revenue budget variance, capital programme delivery, reserves + Section 114 risk, external auditor VfM judgement, multi-year tax trajectory) remain pending data ingest. T&M Conservative administration's 2023 election material claimed "best value for money" in Kent; positioning is broadly mid-pack within the district tier. Specific 2026-27 precept figure to be added at next refresh.
as of 2026 · source
Transparency
Open data publication, councillor expenses, contract register, committee paper publication
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Planning
Application approval ratios, appeal-overturn rate, determination time vs statutory targets
Score pending — data collection in progress per the published methodology (2026-05-18)
Education & children's services
SEND/EHCP statutory processing, SEND tribunal LA-loss rate, children's services Ofsted rating, school transport delivery (county + unitary only)
Education and children's services are not a district/borough function. The county council (or, for Medway, the unitary authority) holds this remit.
Safeguarding & LADO
LADO referral handling, multi-agency safeguarding (MASH) timeliness, Section 47 enquiry compliance, independent safeguarding audit findings (county + unitary only)
Safeguarding is the statutory function of the county council or unitary authority via the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) and multi-agency safeguarding hub.
Manifesto delivery (Trust)
KLN tracks what the controlling party promised at the most recent election vs what was actually delivered. KEPT/PARTIAL/BROKEN/PENDING/OUT_OF_SCOPE categorisation.
Trust score: 3 categorised public issues (no scoreable pledges yet).
as of 2026-05-21
Top public issues for Tonbridge & Malling residents
This is editorial assessment, not a metric score. Each issue carries an alignment tag — ALIGNED (council in step with residents), MIXED (some action falls short), COUNTERACTING (council against residents on this), or SILENT (no clear position). KLN-curated. Council positions added verbatim where provided. Right-of-reply opens with initial publication.
- 🟡Mixed
Greenbelt protection + development pressure
Tonbridge & Malling faces sustained housing-targets pressure on greenbelt sites; residents express concern about cumulative loss of green space.
Council position
Conservative administration broadly resistant to large greenbelt releases outside the Local Plan; case-by-case planning decisions.
KLN assessment
Statements supportive; greenbelt-release approval rates + Planning Inspectorate appeal outcomes are the action evidence and not yet reviewed under Metric 6. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED.
- 🟡Mixed
Recycling rates + waste services
Residents expect strong recycling performance + reliable waste services. T&M has historically claimed strong delivery here.
Council position
Conservatives 2023 election material claimed strong recycling rates + tough environmental enforcement.
KLN assessment
Claim of strong delivery is a statement; action evidence sits in DEFRA WasteDataFlow returns + enforcement notice volumes, to be reviewed under Metric 1. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED.
- 🟡Mixed
Council tax + value for money
T&M residents expect competitive council tax position vs other Kent districts.
Council position
Conservatives 2023 election material claimed "best value for money" in Kent.
KLN assessment
Claim of best VfM is a statement; verification is Band D council tax positioning + external auditor VfM judgement under Metric 4. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED.
How this scorecard works
Each metric is scored 0-100 and banded A through F. We do NOT aggregate to a single overall ranking — combining unrelated performance areas would mislead. See the methodology page for full details, thresholds, and data sources.
Spot an error or have data we should add for Tonbridge & Malling? editor@kentlocalnews.co.uk.