Wednesday March 22 | 2017
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Local, National and International Tonbridge Castle
YOUR
OF TONBRIDGE
FREE PAPER
IT’S MOSTLY MOZART FOR THE TONBRIDGE PHILHARMONIC
STUDENTS INTERVIEW INSPIRATIONAL ICON MALALA
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OLD AT HEART COMEDIAN TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW SHOW
TONBRIDGE MAN TAKES A VIRTUAL ‘JOGLE’ AROUND TOWN
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INSIDE
Exhibition captures Tonbridge’s talent
SAVE OUR HISTORY Concern surrounds removal of town archives Page 3
A SHOWCASE of more than 300 pictures, ranging from stunning close-ups of nature to thought-provoking urban imagery, were put on display at the town castle last week. It is all part of the Tonbridge Camera Club’s 51st Annual Exhibition, which began on Friday [March 17] and runs until tomorrow [March 23]. Around half the photos are displayed as prints, with the others projected as digital copies. Awards have been given for the best. The Chairman of the Tonbridge Camera Club, Alan Cork, said: “It is a particular privilege to see the hard work of members drawn together into this our 51st Annual Exhibition. “As ever, the range of images being presented by members reflects the enormous diversity of talent within the club, from still life to action sports and nature photography. “If you have an interest in photography, then please do come along and enjoy the images presented.”
WATCH THE BIRDIE David Godfrey’s ‘Owls at the Window’ was Highly Commended
MOTHER’S DAY
You won’t be stuck for gift ideas this Sunday Page 72
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Councillors urged to vote for their own pay cut Members face a 6 per cent decrease but a raise for Council Leader By Murray Jones
newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk AN INDEPENDENT watchdog has ruled that Tonbridge & Malling borough councillors are overpaid and has called for allowances to be cut by nearly 6 per cent. Members currently receive a basic allowance of £5,283 a year as remuneration for the 15 hours of work they are expected to contribute each week. Cabinet members and committee chairs receive an additional payment for their extra responsibilities. But a report from the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel [JIRP] recommended that the basic allowance be reduced to £5,000 – a 5.6 per cent cut. More drastically, some committee chairs could see their allowances cut by almost half, with those of the heads of the three area planning committees dropping from £10,566 to £4,901. Meanwhile, the Council Leader’s position was deemed
to be underpaid. Currently, Nicolas Heslop receives £18,384 a year – three times the members’ allowance – on top of his basic £5,283. But the panel’s report declared that ‘both the expertise needed to undertake the role and the time required are so high that a multiplier of four is more appropriate’, meaning Cllr Heslop would now receive £25,000 a year.
‘Undemocratic’ It also adds a £15,000 budget for a Deputy Leader. The council do not have a formal deputy leader but are now required to do so. Cabinet members would see a £100 uptick to the extra £8,400 they receive on top of their basic allowance. However, overall they will still receive less due to the cut in the basic allowance. In total, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] spent £285,282 on 54 councillors’ basic allowances in 2016. The changes would shave £30,000 off this sum.
These require approval by the councillors themselves – leaving Cllr Heslop in the uncomfortable position of potentially voting for his own pay rise, while approving his colleagues’ to be cut. April Clark, of Tonbridge & Malling Green Party, said: “The desperately undemocratic Cabinet system concentrates power in the hands of just a few councillors. “This proposal reduces the allowance of ordinary councillors and dramatically increases the allowances paid to the Cabinet members as a group – by 38 per cent in total by my calculation. The concentration of power and reward is astonishing. It is clear they don’t expect much from ordinary councillors other than to turn up and vote the way they are told.” The last JIRP recommendation was in 2013, in which councillors voted against an increase in their allowances. In December, Tunbridge Wells councillors rejected JIRP’s recommendation to reduce their pay to £5,000. The TMBC decision of whether to accept the pay cut will be taken at a full council meeting on April 11.
LOCAL AND FRESH
Why your farmers’ market is the place to shop Page 56
YOUNG HEROES
Juddians’ U17s on track for Treble after win Page 78