The owners of Tonbridge’s Grade II listed Rose and Crown Hotel have confirmed they will manage the building directly and carry out repairs, but the council has warned that enforcement action remains on the table if work stalls.
Residents and visitors to Tonbridge High Street may start seeing progress on the long-deteriorating Rose and Crown Hotel after its owners confirmed they will take over direct management of the site — ending a leasing arrangement with a separate company — and commit to repairing and renovating the historic building. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, which had already served a formal Listed building notice on the property, says it will support the owners. But it has made clear that further enforcement action is possible if the works do not happen promptly.
Some structural repairs were completed in May after the owners commissioned a structural report earlier this year. Outstanding work remains, though. That includes repairs to the columns’ flat roof and the shield and coat of arms identified in the council’s notice. A site meeting between the owners and council planning enforcement officers in July identified additional repair work needed inside the hotel, and further structural surveys are now planned for three specific areas — the portico, the carriageway, and a small section of the restaurant — to assess rainwater damage before those repairs can begin.
Adem Mehmet, Trench Ward Tonbridge Councillor and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Tonbridge Regeneration, said: “We are pleased that the owners of this historic building finally recognise its importance to the character of Tonbridge High Street. We are reassured by their decision to take over management of the hotel and commitment to carry out the necessary works to the building. However, we have made it very clear that these works must be undertaken without further delay, and we have not ruled out further enforcement action if this doesn’t happen. We will continue to work closely with the Rose and Crown’s owners in order to help secure the required repairs.”
The council has described the Rose and Crown as “very important to our town” and central to the character of Tonbridge High Street. It is a Grade II listed building, meaning the owners must maintain it to standards set out in heritage legislation. The council has reiterated that it expects the building to be maintained in accordance with legislative requirements and intends to work closely with the owners to help them meet those requirements, while not stepping back from the possibility of formal action if the repair programme stalls again.
The owners have stated their intention to secure the building’s future as a hotel, which would keep hospitality on the High Street.
The council will continue to monitor progress and has not ruled out further enforcement action if the required repairs are not carried out without delay.
Source: Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Published: Monday, 20th July 2026.
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