About me

Hello, I’m Pamela Wilkinson, the 2023 Lib Dem candidate for Pantiles & St. Mark's.

Having enjoyed the privilege of living in Tunbridge Wells for more than 25 years, I want to give something back to the town as your councillor. I have worked and raised a family in the town so understand its strengths and weaknesses. 

I believe my experience as a litigation solicitor will be an asset in representing you on the council and I am keen to work with fellow Lib Dem councillors Wendy Fitzsimmons and Gavin Barrass to restore the council’s finances while protecting services, encouraging more visitors and implementing our Green Plan. 

My focus for Pantiles & St. Mark's

• Campaign to improve our road safety
  We will use community speed watch, support 20's Plenty in our residential areas and push Kent County Council for safer road layouts, especially near schools. 

• A more vibrant town centre
  With my fellow Lib Dem ward councillors Wendy Fitzsimmons and Gavin Barrass I will fight for investment in Tunbridge Wells and support businesses and the farmers’ market. 

• More charging points for electric cars
  We will double the number of public charging points by 2030 and campaign to expand the car-sharing club locally. 

I will always listen if you have a problem.  And do my best to help!

I hope you will vote for me on the 4th May.

Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats Local Elections 2023 Manifesto

As the largest party within the Borough Partnership we will work to drive through our manifesto priorities:

Green Plan for the Borough

• Double the number of electric charging points inc. on-street provision.

• Work with Lib Dems at County Council to campaign for the reinstatement of bus routes across the Borough axed by the Conservatives.

• Greening the council: e.g. more air source heat pumps to reduce council carbon footprint to net zero by 2030.

• Make residential roads safer through better cycling & walking provision, 20 mph zones, and trialling low traffic neighbourhoods.

• Deter rat running & speeding. Make cycling & walking more attractive, reduce congestion and air pollution.

Tourism to drive economic development

• Continuing to work with the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to boost our tourism spending for three years driving tourism growth within the Borough by e.g. building new itinerary for coach operators, matching up host families with tourists, and developing cultural packages / historical tours. 

• Promoting TW as Creative Tunbridge Wells – e.g. in 2024 Tunbridge Wells Borough is hosting the Subbuteo World Cup.

• Creating tourism info points throughout the Borough e.g. Cranbrook.

• Create a farmers’ market in the town centre to attract visitors.

Protecting services in a tough economic climate

• Inherited 2022/3 £944k deficit which the Borough Partnership has eliminated due to sound financial management. Services protected.

• 2023/4 budget deficit was £2.6m, now £950k after savings and charges increases. Services protected. The Borough Partnership put £100K towards a Community Support Fund this winter.

• Whilst high inflation and energy costs continue, the deficit cannot be reduced further, but work will continue to reduce it in 2024/5, once inflation abates.

• We will fight to protect the following services no matter what: refuse collection, housing services, protecting the Tunbridge Wells Commons, street sweeping, & cemeteries.

Tunbridge Wells Lib Dems

The Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats are an energetic, pro-active and growing local political party.  We are the largest party on the Borough Council.  Together with two other parties and one independent Councillor, we control the Council through the Borough Partnership which was formed in Spring 2022.

Under the leadership of Ben Chapelard, the Borough Partnership has five key objectives

1. Safeguarding finances

2. Vibrant and safer towns and villages

3. Carbon reduction

4. Genuinely affordable housing and social rental housing

5. Digital access, transparency, and local democracy

See HERE for an interview with Ben Chapelard.