Editing Tonbridge and Malling (section)

==Governance==
{{Infobox legislature
 | name               = Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
 | native_name        =
 | transcription_name =
 | legislature        =
 | logo_pic           = Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.svg
 | logo_res           = 180px
 | house_type         = Non-metropolitan district
 | body               =
 | houses             =
 | leader1_type       = [[Mayors in England|Mayor]]
 | leader1            = Chris Brown
 | party1             = <br>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
 | election1          = 14 May 2025<ref>{{cite web |title=Chris Brown elected Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling|url=https://www.tmbc.gov.uk/news/article/163/chris-brown-elected-mayor-of-tonbridge-and-malling |website=Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council |access-date=16 May 2025|date=15 May 2025}}</ref>
 | leader2_type       = [[Leader of the Council|Leader]]
 | leader2            = Matt Boughton
 | party2             = <br>[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
 | election2          = 13 July 2021
 | leader3_type       = [[Chief Executive]]
 | leader3            = Damian Roberts
 | party3             = <!-- Non-political role -->
 | election3          = 2024<ref>{{cite web |title=Damian Roberts selected as new chief executive |url=https://www.tmbc.gov.uk/news/article/133/damian-roberts-selected-as-new-chief-executive |website=Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council |access-date=7 July 2024 |date=20 March 2024}}</ref>
 | members            = 44 councillors
 | house1             =
 | house2             =
 | structure1         =[[File:Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council 2025 20250516 225051 0000.png|Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council 2025 20250516 225051 0000.png]]
 | structure1_res     = 250px
 | structure1_alt     =
 | structure2         =
 | structure2_res     =
 | structure2_alt     =
 | political_groups1  =
;Administration (23)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] (21)}}
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Independent Alliance (Kent)}}|border=darkgray}} Independent Alliance (2)}}
'''Other parties (21)'''
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] (11)}}
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green]] (8)}}
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (2)}}
 | committees1        =
 | committees2        =
 | joint_committees   =
 | voting_system1     =
 | voting_system2     =
 | last_election1     = [[2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election|4 May 2023]]
 | next_election1     = 6 May 2027
 | session_room       = Gibson Building.jpg
 | session_res        =
 | session_alt        =
 | meeting_place      = Gibson Building, Gibson Drive, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19{{nbsp}}4LZ
 | website            = {{url|www.tmbc.gov.uk}}
}}

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council provides [[Non-metropolitan district|district-level]] services. [[Non-metropolitan county|County-level]] services are provided by [[Kent County Council]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=31 May 2023}}</ref> Much of the borough is also covered by [[civil parish]]es, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Election maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref>

===Political control===
Since the [[2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election|2023 election]] the council has been under [[no overall control]], being led by a coalition of the Conservatives and the Independent Alliance.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alan |title=Tories keep control of Tonbridge and Malling on the casting vote of the Mayor |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/tonbridge/news/matt-boughton-continues-as-leader-287053/ |access-date=25 June 2023 |work=Kent Online |date=25 June 2023}}</ref>

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:<ref name=electionscentre>{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Tonbridge & Malling" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=England council elections|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/election2011/council/html/29up.stm|newspaper=[[BBC News]]|date=6 May 2011}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2|Party in control || Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 1974–1995
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 1995–2003
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 2003–2023
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2023–present
|}

===Leadership===
The role of [[#Mayors and chairmen|mayor]] is largely ceremonial in Tonbridge and Malling. Political leadership is instead provided by the [[leader of the council]]. The leaders since 1985 have been:

{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
| Mark Worrall<ref name=Worrall>{{cite news |title='Shock' as Tonbridge and Malling leader Mark Worrall dies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-17858567 |access-date=25 July 2022 |work=BBC News |date=26 April 2012}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|1985 || align=right|1995
|-
| David Thornewell<ref>{{cite web |title=David Thornewell |url=https://www.tonbridgeandmallinglibdems.org.uk/local-party/councillors/david-thornewell |website=Tonbridge and Malling Liberal Democrats |access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|1995 || align=right|2003
|-
| Mark Worrall<ref name=Worrall/> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|2003 || align=right|26 Apr 2012
|-
| Nicolas Heslop<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 30 May 2012 |url=https://democracy.tmbc.gov.uk/CeListDocuments.aspx?CommitteeId=126&MeetingId=796&DF=30%2f05%2f2012&Ver=2 |website=Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council | date=30 May 2012 |access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Alan |title=Tonbridge and Malling council leader Nicolas Heslop resigns |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/tonbridge/news/council-leader-steps-down-249383/ |access-date=10 March 2025 |work=Kent Online |date=10 March 2025}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|30 May 2012 || align=right|13 Jul 2021
|-
| Matt Boughton<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 13 July 2021 |url=https://democracy.tmbc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=126&MId=4614 |website=Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council | date=13 July 2021 |access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|13 Jul 2021 || 
|}

===Composition===
Following the [[2023 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council election|2023 election]] and two by-elections, the composition of the council is:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://democracy.tmbc.gov.uk//mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0|access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party
! Councillors
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|21
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=center|11
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}} || align=center|8
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=center|2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Alliance (Kent)|full=yes}} || align=center|2
|-
! colspan=2|Total !! align=center|44
|}
The next election is due in 2027.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tonbridge and Malling |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=tonbridge_and_malling |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref>

===Premises===
[[File:Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Offices.jpg|thumb|Extension to the Gibson Building including the main reception, completed 2000.]]
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's main offices are at the Gibson Building in [[Kings Hill]], which had been built in 1939 as the officers' mess building of [[RAF West Malling]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1387787|desc=Gibson Building, Gibson Drive, Kings Hill|accessdate=25 July 2022|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> The building is named after [[Wing commander|Wing Commander]] [[Guy Gibson]], known for leading the [[Operation Chastise|Dambusters Raid]], who had been based at RAF West Malling in 1941–1942.<ref>Plaque by main entrance doors to civic suite: "The Gibson Building / Named after Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC DSO DFC RAF / Who said of RAF West Malling when serving here with 29 Squadron during 1941/42 "Of all the airfields in Great Britain, here, many say (including myself) we have the most pleasant"</ref> The council moved to the Gibson Building in November 1974, just a few months after the council's creation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Next week Tonbridge and Malling District Council moves to new headquarters at West Malling Airfield |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=25 July 2022 |work=Kent and Sussex Courier |date=22 November 1974 |location=Tunbridge Wells |page=44}}</ref> A large extension to the Gibson Building was added in 2000.<ref>Plaque in the main reception, within the extension, reads: "This building was opened by The Worshipful The Mayor of the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling Councillor Michael J. Dobson on 11 August 2000."</ref> The council also has an office at [[Tonbridge Castle]], which had been the offices of the former Tonbridge Urban District Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact us |url=https://www.tmbc.gov.uk/council/contact-us |website=Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council |access-date=25 July 2022}}</ref>