The Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Forum is hosting two public meetings this week (early February 2026) at the Camden Centre to discuss the possible sale of the town’s Tunbridge Wells & Rusthall Commons in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Residents are being asked to share their views on a plan to bring 256 acres of land into community or community-controlled ownership before the Asset of Community Value (ACV) moratorium expires on 26 March 2026.
Targetfollow notified Tunbridge Wells Borough Council of its intention to sell the Commons on 26 September 2025 and published a statement on 23 October 2025 saying the land was being marketed. Because the Commons are listed as an Asset of Community Value, the Localism Act 2011 gives local groups a ‘Right to Bid’ and a six-month moratorium — in this case expiring on 26 March 2026 — during which they can prepare and submit an offer. (There is also an initial six-week period for parties to register interest.)
The Tunbridge Wells & Rusthall Commons Conservators manage the Commons on a day-to-day basis. The registered charity The Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons (Charity No. 1013975) is leading the community bid and, according to BBC reporting, has launched a campaign seeking pledges from the public to help make a credible bid and to match potential grant funding.
Multiple statutory protections apply to the Commons. The Tunbridge Wells Improvement Act 1890 is the historical legal foundation for free public access and the Conservators’ role; its essential provisions relating to the Commons were later re‑enacted in subsequent legislation, including the County of Kent Act 1981. Local reporting and council statements say access is not under threat, but local groups and residents have expressed concern about who would be responsible for the long‑term management and upkeep of the land and its facilities should ownership change.
