West Kent

Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood and the Weald

Two market towns, the distribution parks at Paddock Wood and the farms and estates of the Weald, along the A21 and A26 south of the M25.

The patch

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells and the sites it holds

Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells sit ten to fifteen miles south of Wrotham on the A26 and A21. Tonbridge is the older, with its castle and school and the industrial estates along Vale Road and Cannon Lane; Royal Tunbridge Wells is the larger, a spa town with a professional-services economy and the North Farm and Longfield Road industrial and retail area on its eastern edge.

Paddock Wood, east of Tonbridge, is a distribution and logistics centre out of proportion to its size, on the rail line and the A228. Beyond it the Weald is farming country: hop gardens, orchards, vineyards and the agricultural and equestrian premises that go with them, together with a steady programme of barn conversions and rural housing.

The HSE enforces on construction, farms and manufacturing; Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council cover offices, retail, warehousing and hospitality in their respective areas. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers both.

Typical site types

Distribution sheds and light industry at Paddock Wood
Market-town retail and commercial fit-out
Residential schemes and rural conversions
Farms, vineyards and rural estates
Highways and utilities on the A21 and A26

Sectors

The sectors that matter around Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells

Construction and housing developmentClients, principal contractors and contractors on commercial and housing projects, from demolition and groundworks through to completion, under CDM 2015.Read more Retail fit-outFit-out projects from shell and core through to Category B: short programmes, trading neighbours and the public a hoarding away.Read more Civil engineering and groundworksGroundwork and reinforced-concrete-frame contractors on highways, footings and deep excavation works, from a background in plant operation.Read more

Disciplines

The disciplines these sites call for

Questions about Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells

How far are Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells from Wrotham?

Tonbridge is about ten miles south via the A20 and A227 or A26; Tunbridge Wells about five miles further on the A26.

Why is Paddock Wood a logistics centre?

It sits on the Tonbridge to Ashford rail line and the A228, with the M20 to the north and the A21 to the west, and it has had large distribution sheds since the 1970s. Food, drink and general distribution operators occupy the Transfesa Road and Eldon Way estates.

Which councils enforce health and safety in the two towns?

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council for Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood, for the premises that fall to local authorities: offices, shops, warehouses, hotels, pubs and leisure. Construction, farms and factories fall to the HSE.

Go deeper

The sectors and disciplines that matter most around Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, and the neighbouring patch.

Construction and housing sites and what was done on themClients, principal contractors and contractors on commercial and housing projects, from demolition and groundworks through to completion, under CDM 2015.Risk assessments and RAMS, on the recordSuitable and sufficient risk assessments under regulation 3, safe systems of work and method statements for high-risk work, and COSHH training.Sevenoaks, on the mapStephen’s home patch: Wrotham, Sevenoaks, Borough Green and the M20/M26 corridor, with its residential developments, business parks and rural estates.Who delivered itStephen’s career, qualifications and memberships, in his own record.