New Angel Centre Plans Approved – But Community Voices Raise Concerns Over Dedicated Spaces

Plans for a brand-new, £20 million Angel Centre in Tonbridge have taken a major step forward after councillors unanimously approved planning permission despite perceived concern from local community groups who fear the loss of dedicated, flexible spaces.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday evening, councilors backed the multi-million-pound replacement facility, which will succeed the current 40-year-old building. If it clears its final hurdle—gaining construction approval from Full Council on 14th October—building work on the Sovereign Way Mid Car Park site is expected to begin in autumn 2026, with an opening targeted for 2028.

While Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) has hailed the energy-efficient riverside design as a landmark investment in leisure and wellbeing, the meeting laid bare a divide between the council’s vision and the practical needs of the town’s established community groups.

Cllr Adem Mehmet, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Tonbridge Regeneration, expressed delight that councillors from all parties had backed these plans. He described the decision as a significant moment for Tonbridge and the future of local leisure, noting that the £20 million investment would provide modern facilities for all residents.

The Proposed Spaces vs. Current Angel Centre

Councillor Mehmet outlined the capacity of the three new flexible spaces proposed for the centre:

Room 1: 60-person capacity
Room 2: 60-person capacity
Room 3: 124-person capacity
Rooms 1 and 2 Combined: 332-person capacity in an auditorium-style layout, offering a cumulative size of 336 square metres.

To reassure residents, Cllr Mehmet highlighted that several design changes had already been made following feedback from the University of the Third Age (U3A). These include adding a retractable wall between Rooms 1 and 2, increasing storage in Room 3, adding an extra fire exit, and curving the south-west wall of Room 3 to improve circulation.

Council figures also suggest the current Angel Centre’s meeting rooms are underutilised, with total current use at just 13%, and the Judd Rooms recording only 8% occupancy.

However, community representatives argue these statistics and overall square footage measurements do not paint the full picture. The current facility boasts several distinct, dedicated spaces with established capacities:

Medway Hall: 300-capacity
Riverside Room: 100-capacity
Castle 1: 50-capacity
Vauxhall Room: 30-capacity
Judd Rooms 1 and 2: 20-capacity each
Castle 3: 12-capacity

Angel Centre Roundabout Render — Renderings from TMBC on how the new Angel Centre will look.

Community Groups Question Equivalent Facilities

Several public speakers addressed the meeting to voice their anxieties over moving from this varied selection of smaller and larger rooms down to just three main spaces, questioning whether the new hub truly offers equivalent facilities.

Penny Davies, speaking on behalf of the U3A, questioned the overall reduction in provisions, noting that the sports hall capacity is also dropping from six courts to four. She argued that the committee could not be satisfied that local planning policies regarding equivalent replacement facilities had been met.

Edwina Tan, a local resident, argued that the Medway Hall is far more than just a room, and that the new studios are not equivalent to a dedicated hall. She pointed out that the new spaces lack a stage and built-in sound system, and questioned whether the proposed storage would be sufficient to hold all the equipment required by various groups with highly different needs.

A representative from the Tonbridge Historical Society, which has met at the centre for over 20 years, questioned whether they would be squeezed out by leisure activities. The society also called for a full archaeological survey of the Sovereign Way site, noting the area has never undergone one.

Accessibility and scheduling were also key projects of concern. A spokesperson for the Women’s Institute raised concerns about whether those with hearing and sight difficulties would be able to navigate and use the new multi-purpose spaces as easily as they do the Medway Hall.

Multiple speakers, including Rosemary Martin and David Bear, called for a legally binding agreement to guarantee dedicated timeslots for local groups at a reasonable cost.

Management and Council Remit

Addressing the commercial side of the venture, the council noted that the management agreement between TMBC and the operator, tmactive, remains commercially sensitive and is not publicly available. However, they confirmed it would mirror the current setup, managed via a board containing two local councillors.

When Councillor Anna Cope asked whether the council has the power to grant the legally binding booking guarantees requested by residents, the response from councilors was that because the centre is run as a commercial enterprise, booking and operational details fall outside the council’s direct planning remit. Such arrangements must be negotiated directly with the operator, meaning a Section 106 legal agreement cannot be used to secure these community guarantees.

Indy Shoka, representing TMBC leisure consultants 3BM, maintained that the new Angel Centre remains a crucial cornerstone of the town’s wider masterplan, adding that designs had already been actively adapted to accommodate the local community.

While the physical plans for the modern, riverside venue have secured unanimous support from councillors, Tonbridge’s community groups are left facing an uncertain wait to see if the new hub will truly feel like home.

Next Steps and Construction Timeline

The project must clear one final major hurdle before work can begin. On 20th October 2026, the Full Council will hold a critical vote to decide whether to officially approve funding and proceed with the construction phase.

Should councillors vote in favour of the project on 20th October, the physical transformation is set to progress on the following estimated timeline:

Autumn/November 2026: Preparatory work and the start of construction on the Sovereign Way Mid Car Park site.
2026 to 2028: Construction phase. The council has confirmed that the existing Angel Centre will remain open to the public throughout this period to avoid disrupting services.
2028: The new, energy-efficient riverside destination is scheduled to open its doors to the public, at which point the current building will be decommissioned.

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