LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH ACT 2007
The Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2026 - Made 29 May 2026
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (“the council”), in accordance with section 83 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (“the 2007 Act”), has undertaken a community governance review and made recommendations dated 15 January 2026.
The council has decided to give effect to those recommendations and, in accordance with section 93 of the 2007 Act, has consulted with the local government electors and other interested persons and has had regard to the need to secure that community governance reflects the identities and interests of the community and is effective and convenient.
The council, in accordance with section 100 of the 2007 Act, has had regard to guidance issued under that section.
The council makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 86, 98(3) and 240(10) of the 2007 Act.
Citation and commencement
1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2026.
(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4) below, this Order comes into force on 1st April 2027.
(3) Articles 7 and 8 shall come into force on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027.
(4) For the purposes of:
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this article,
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article 10, and
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proceedings preliminary or relating to the elections of parish councillors for the parish of Tonbridge, to be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027,
this Order shall come into force on the day after that on which it is made.
Interpretation
2. In this Order—
“borough” means the borough of Tonbridge and Malling;
“map” means the map marked “Map referred to in the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2026” and deposited in accordance with section 96(4) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007: and any reference to a numbered sheet is a reference to the sheet of the map which bears that number;
“monitoring officer” means the officer designated by the council under section 5(1) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989;
“new parish” means the parish constituted by article 4;
“new parish council” means the parish council established by article 5;
“ordinary day of election of councillors” has the meaning given by section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983; and
“registration officer” means an officer appointed for the purpose of, and in accordance with, section 8 of the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Effect of order
3. This Order has effect subject to any agreement under section 99 (agreements about incidental matters) of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 relevant to any provision of this Order.
Constitution of a new parish
4. (1) A new parish, comprising the area outlined with a red line on the map, shall be constituted within the borough.
(2) The name of the new parish shall be Tonbridge.
(3) The new parish shall have the alternative style of Town.
Parish council for the parish of Tonbridge
5. (1) There shall be a parish council for the parish of Tonbridge.
(2) The name of that council shall be “Tonbridge Town Council”.
Elections for the parish of Tonbridge
6. (1) The first elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Tonbridge shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027.
(2) Subsequent elections of all parish councillors for the parish of Tonbridge shall be held simultaneously on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2031 and every fourth year thereafter.
(3) The term of office of every parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027 and every fourth year thereafter for the parish of Tonbridge shall be four (4) years.
Number of parish councillors for the parish of Tonbridge
7. The number of councillors to be elected for the parish of Tonbridge shall be eighteen (18).
Wards of the parish of Tonbridge and numbers of parish councillors
8. (1) The parish of Tonbridge shall be divided into six (6) wards which shall be named as set out in column (1) of Schedule 1.
(2) Each ward shall comprise the area designated on the map by reference to the name of the ward and demarcated by green lines.
(3) The number of councillors to be elected for each ward shall be the number specified in respect of the ward in column (2) of Schedule 1.
Annual meeting of parish council
9. The annual meeting of the new parish council in 2027 shall be convened by the monitoring officer of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. The meeting shall take place no later than 14 days after the day on which the councillors elected to the new parish council take office.
Electoral register
10. The registration officer for the borough shall make such rearrangement of, or adaptation of, the register of local government electors as may be necessary for the purposes of, and in consequence of, this Order.
Order date
11. 1st April 2027 is the order date for the purposes of the Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008.
EXECUTED as a DEED by affixing the Common Seal of TONBRIDGE and MALLING BOROUGH COUNCIL in the presence of:
Authorised Signatory - Damian Roberts
Wards of the Parish of Tonbridge
| Name of Ward | Number of Councillors |
|---|---|
| Cage Green and Angel | Four (4) |
| Higham | Three (3) |
| Oast | One (1) |
| Judd | Three (3) |
| Trench | Three (3) |
| Vauxhall | Four (4) |
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order gives effect to recommendations made by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council for the new parish of Tonbridge, and the creation of a council for the parish of Tonbridge within the borough of Tonbridge and Malling.
The parish of Tonbridge will be created with effect from 1st April 2027. The electoral arrangements apply in respect of parish elections to be held on and after the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2027.
Article 4 provides for the constitution of the new parish.
Article 5 provides for the establishment of the new town council.
Article 6 provides for parish elections for the new parish in 2027 and then to continue according to the established system of parish elections every four years.
Article 7 specifies the number of parish councillors for the new parish.
Article 8, Schedule 1 and the map establish the names and areas of the wards of the new parish and the numbers of councillors for each ward.
Article 9 provides for the convening of the first annual meeting of the new parish council.
Article 10 obliges the electoral registration officer to make any necessary amendments to the electoral register to reflect the new electoral arrangements.
Article 11 specifies the order date for the purposes of the transfer of allotments to the new parish council.
The map defined in Article 2 shows the wards of the new parish. It is available, at all reasonable times, at the offices of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council at Gibson Building, Gibson Drive, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4LZ.
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