Council scorecard
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Type
- borough
- Population
- ~116k
- Political control
- Liberal Democrat (from May 2026)
- Next election
- May 2030
- Council website
- tunbridgewells.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. TWBC 2023-24 recycling rate over 52% — HIGHEST in Kent, well above the Kent average (41.7%) and the England average (~44%). Best-performing district on this single component.
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. TWBC Lib Dem administration emphasises balanced budget + no external debt; council tax positioning 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 Tunbridge Wells 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
Planning pressure + overdevelopment in the borough
Tunbridge Wells faces sustained planning pressure for new housing on greenfield + greenbelt sites; residents express concern about loss of character + infrastructure capacity.
Council position
Lib Dem control historically resistant to large speculative developments outside the Local Plan; case-by-case planning decisions vary.
KLN assessment
Statements lean protective, actions need verification. Planning decision approval rates + Planning Inspectorate appeal outcomes are the action evidence; KLN has not yet reviewed those against the 2026 baseline. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED until action data is in.
- 🟡Mixed
Village road safety + rural infrastructure
Rural villages in the TWBC area face speeding, HGV traffic, and limited pedestrian/cycle infrastructure.
Council position
Mike Martin MP + TWBC Lib Dems committed £25,000 per Parish Council for road safety delivery 2026-2027.
KLN assessment
Commitment made; delivery pending. Whether the £25k-per-parish funding materialises in tangible 20mph zones / crossings / signage by end of 2027 is the action test. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED until parish-level delivery is verified.
- 🟡Mixed
Climate action and environmental sustainability
Residents increasingly demand visible climate action — solar, EV infrastructure, building retrofit, tree planting, biodiversity.
Council position
TWBC Lib Dem-led environmental programme tracks delivery via the council's climate action plan; specific delivery targets per service line.
KLN assessment
Plan in place; delivery against milestones is the action evidence. Per the "actions, not statements" principle: MIXED until tangible programme outcomes (carbon reduction, retrofit rates, EV chargepoint installs) are evidenced.
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 Tunbridge Wells? editor@kentlocalnews.co.uk.