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Wednesday April 11 | 2018
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The new digital platform for this newspaper Police gender pay gap is the second highest of all forces
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INSIDE
Council’s £17,500 ‘rock’ sparks controversy
NEW BEGINNINGS
Quaker Hall launches flats for homeless youths Page 9
By Duncan Audsley newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
FEMALE staff across Kent Police are earning on average 27.5 per cent less than men, according to new data. This median gender pay gap was the second highest out of 44 police forces in England and Wales, who were required to release figures last week. The figure was significantly higher than that of neighbouring Sussex Police [15 per cent] while only Derbyshire Constabulary posted a larger pay gap with 28.8 per cent.
But Kent Police has rejected suggestions the result should cause alarm, instead challenging the method by which the data was calculated [see panel overleaf]. Mark Gilmartin, Kent Police’s Director of Support Services, spoke out after all companies with 250 or more staff were legally required to release details of their pay gap last week. He said: “All officers and employees of Kent Police are paid equally for the same positions, irrespective of gender. “The fact is that there is a higher percentage of male officers than female, and in the same way – there are more women [support] staff than men.” The framework for police officer pay is set nationally and differences are accounted for by the length of time a person has worked in their job.
Continued on page 2
PHOTO: Craig Matthews
Details
KENT BOWLED OVER
Allan Donald announced as cricket club’s coach Page 70
SCULPTURE: Artist Richard Perry (centre right) presents his work Zephyr in Grosvenor and Hilbert Park in Tunbridge Wells last week. The Borough Council paid £17,500 for the piece which includes two more rocks, with funding from developer contributions. Full story, page 3
Civic Complex is battleground as parties reveal election teams By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk WITH less than one month to go until the polls open for the council elections it has emerged that party political campaigns will focus on the controversial Civic Complex. It will be a key debating topic heading into the vote on Thursday, May 3, which will decide 16 of the authority’s 48 seats. This £90million proposal for a new theatre and Town Hall continues to divide opinion. The controlling Conservative group is in favour of the development. All six other parties area against the scheme.
Former protest group Tunbridge Wells Alliance, set-up initially to oppose the development, is standing seven candidates in a newly formed political party.
Parking, business, and traffic also high on agenda It is also the first local election that will see a candidate from the Women’s Equality Party. Parking, business, the environment and traffic are also high on the political agenda. The Conservatives will retain overall control with only one third of the seats being contested. They currently hold 43
of the 48 seats. But the vote is a chance to see some significant changes, with the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties each fighting all 16 seats. UKIP is fielding two candidates and the Green Party one. Parties have tactically chosen where to stand candidates with the best chance of winning and there are several seats worth watching on election night. For example, St John’s and Sherwood are traditional battlegrounds, which have changed hands over the years. Both contested seats are Tory.
See pages 4-5 for full election preview
GREECE IS THE WORD What’s on the menu at town’s Greek restaurant Page 58
GET INTO GARDENING Your top five jobs to do in the coming weeks Pages 48 & 49