The Sage of Lamberhurst stirs

Following announcements by the Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council that plans to redevelop the civic complex have been shelved and a panel consisting of the good and the great will be formed to advise the Council on a 'master plan' for the town centre, his hope must have been that the heat had been taken out of the controversy surrounding redevelopment.  The purchase of the Odeon cinema site and the problem of the empty Morrisons store provided useful diversions.

The calmer waters have not lasted long.  Turbulence is back, as the former Leader of the Council counter-attacks on two fronts.

In a long letter to the local newspaper Roy Bullock criticises the current Leader and Deputy-Leader of the Council as he seeks to put the record straight.

The second front sees him confront his opponents. A high-profile blogger (John Dutton) against the civic complex redevelopment has been forced, according to the local newspaper (The Courier), to issue a fulsome apology for untrue and unfair statements and innuendos.  Mr Bullock and his solicitor's next task is to identify those councillors and others who sponsored the allegations and other rumours of misdoings and inaccuracies, again without foundation, during 2010, in a bitter personal attack on the cabinet and myself.

So the controversy rumbles on.  Indeed, the letters column of The Courier has contributions from those opposed to the redevelopment and those who are supportive.

Go and buy a copy of the newspaper: it contains fascinating stories, including one which expresses doubts concerning the future role of the Tunbridge Wells Regeneration Company.

The link below takes you to an article which sets out the background:

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Bullock-went-wrong/story-12000016-detail/story.html