Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council’s Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee received an update on 17 September 2026 on a programme of improvements at Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground, totalling £178,871 and largely funded by developer contributions.
A programme of upgrades at Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground, covering gym equipment, tennis courts, a multi-use games area and a mini-golf course, has cost a total of £178,871.53, the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee heard when it met on 17 September 2026.
What has been done
The sportsground, which covers approximately 28 hectares (52 acres) in the Medway Valley to the west of Tonbridge town centre, has been used by the local community since it opened formally in 1923. It hosts football, rugby, baseball and bowls, as well as informal uses including children’s play, tennis, mini golf and dog walking.
The outdoor gym was replaced with an expanded facility offering a wider variety of accessible fitness equipment for all abilities and a mobility trail, at a cost of £46,933.53, funded through £13,534.23 of capital renewals funding and £33,399.30 of Section 106 developer contributions.
The tennis courts were refurbished — fencing replaced, new nets installed, the playing surface resurfaced and thermoplastic colouring applied — at a cost of £63,900, funded entirely by Section 106 contributions. A new gate system was also installed to allow online booking through the Leisure Trust.
Thermoplastic colouring was applied to the surface of the multi-use games area at a cost of £3,955, also fully funded by Section 106 contributions.
The mini-golf course was fully refurbished, including replacement of the subbase and surface of each hole, installation of bespoke vandal-resistant kerb edging, and the introduction of elements reflecting the culture and heritage of the town. That work cost £63,083, funded by £50,990 of capital renewal funding and £13,093 of Section 106 contributions.
In total, £114,347.30 — or 63.9% of the overall cost — came from Section 106 developer contributions rather than council funds.
What comes next
The report presented to the committee identified several further investment opportunities. These include the development of a Community Hub at the former bowls green site, in partnership with Tonbridge & Malling Leisure Trust, with a fuller report due to be presented to the committee on 4 November 2026. The council also plans to replace all remaining square football goal posts with circular posts and sockets.
Officers noted that a review of further Section 106 developer contributions allocated to the sportsground is under way with planning colleagues, and that more detailed proposals for additional projects will follow. The report also flagged that the timetable for Local Government Reorganisation may affect the council’s ability to proceed with larger-scale investment in the short term.
The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.
Sources
- Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council — Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee, 17 September 2026 (agenda and papers)
- Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground Investment Update — report to Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee (Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, 17 September 2026)
- Annex 1: Photographs of recent improvements at Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground (Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council)
Top image: illustrative, computer-generated. Illustrative AI-generated image. This is not a photograph of Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground or any real location.