Planning officers have backed proposals for a carbon-neutral replacement for Tonbridge’s Angel Centre, with full council set to make the final call at a 7.30pm meeting.
Residents in Tonbridge could see their town’s main leisure centre demolished and replaced with a new community hub — if Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council gives the green light tonight. Council planning officers have already recommended the application for approval, meaning councillors at the full council meeting are being asked to back a scheme that would tear down the existing Angel Centre and build a modern, carbon-neutral replacement on a central site close to the current building, in the area east of Tonbridge High Street around Sainsbury’s.
The council says the existing Angel Centre is no longer fit for purpose — too costly to run, too energy-hungry, and no longer up to modern standards. The new facility is designed to cut ongoing running costs, generate extra income, and reach carbon-neutral operation. According to project documentation from Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, construction could start as early as October 2026, though that date is indicative and depends on tonight’s decision and other approvals still to come.
What the new centre would include
Surveys carried out during the council’s public engagement phase give a clear picture of what residents want to see. The numbers are striking:
- Around 95% of those surveyed wanted a sports hall
- Around 86% backed a soft play area for young children
- Nearly 80% wanted a wellness zone for people with limited mobility, long-term conditions or rehabilitation needs
- Around 80% supported a gym
- 61% rated an on-site café as important
- 87% wanted the Angel Centre name kept for the new building
The consultation drew 6,500 visits to the project website, about 700 people through the exhibition doors, and 436 completed surveys. Of those who responded, 68% said they were in favour of a new contemporary centre, and 56% felt the designs were an improvement on what’s there now. Around 65% of respondents were existing users of the current Angel Centre.
The case for — and the concerns
The council’s argument is straightforward: the existing building is past its best, a new carbon-neutral centre costs less to run over time, and the central location keeps it accessible for people arriving by bus or train into Tonbridge. The project also forms part of wider regeneration plans for the area east of the High Street, which the council says could bring increased footfall and investment to nearby businesses.
But the decision isn’t without questions. Critics and residents have raised concerns — some about the cost to the council, including capital borrowing and the potential knock-on effect for other services or council tax, though specific financial figures haven’t been set out in publicly available documents. Others may object to losing the existing building, which has long been part of Tonbridge life, or worry about disruption during demolition and construction — noise, traffic, and possible changes to car parking in the surrounding streets. Some have questioned whether the existing centre could be refurbished rather than replaced outright. Detailed planning objections for this specific application haven’t been publicly collated, so the full picture of opposition remains unclear.
How the decision was reached
This hasn’t come out of nowhere. TMBC’s Cabinet agreed in principle on 10 January 2024 that the existing Angel Centre should be demolished and replacement facilities provided in Tonbridge. The council later confirmed the new centre would stay in a central location near the current site. Tonight’s full council meeting is the next formal step — and because the application sits within a wider town centre redevelopment framework, it falls to full council rather than a planning committee alone.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm and can be watched live online via TMBC’s official channels.
Key information
- The full council meeting begins at 7.30pm and is available to watch live online via Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council’s website and social media
- Full planning documents and background papers are available through TMBC’s democratic services pages
- Construction is provisionally planned to begin in October 2026, subject to planning approval and other consents
Tonbridge & Malling councillors vote on plans for new Angel Centre to replace ageing leisure hub Quiz
5 questions