Category: News

Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Town Meeting on Monday 31 March at the WI Hall, and a big thanks to all the guest speakers and community groups who shared their work. It’s always inspiring to see the incredible range of projects happening across Edenbridge – we’re so proud to be part of such a vibrant community.

If you missed the meeting, you can view the presentation slides on our website. The Q&A summary will be published soon.

Talks were given by:

• Edenbridge Town Council
• Sevenoaks District Council
• Kent Police
• Office of Tom Tugendhat MP
• Kent County Council (Education)
• Edenbridge Foodbank
• Edenbridge Community Christmas Association
• Edenbridge Community First Responders

There was also an exhibition from NEDRA – New Edenbridge & District Residents’ Association.

Join us as we take part in nationwide events to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, which signalled the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Event schedule – Thursday 8 May

9.00am – VE Day flag raising
High Street flagpole (entrance to Edenbridge Primary School)
With a bugle player from Edenbridge Town Band.

9.00am to 4.00pm – Edenbridge Thursday Market
A special VE Day-themed market. We will have memorabilia such as flags and hats for school children.

8.45pm – Beacon lighting at Stangrove Park
Residents are invited to gather from 8pm – 8.15pm to watch this symbolic tribute. Music from Edenbridge Town Band.

Afternoon Tea – By invitation only

A special afternoon tea will be held at Rickards Hall/Courtyard for community members who lived through or contributed to the war effort. If you know someone who should receive an invitation, please get in touch:
Email: information@edenbridgetowncouncil.gov.uk
Telephone: 01732 865368

We look forward to commemorating this historic occasion together.

Sunday 10 November, over 250 residents joined in the parade from Leathermarket car park to the War Memorial to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Edenbridge remembers, “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them”.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Remembrance Sunday wreath laying service. To Lennox Cato, Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, Cllr Laurence Ball (Chairman Sevenoaks District Council), Cllr Bob Todd (Chairman Edenbridge Town Council), Edenbridge RBL Branch and Club, various military services, the Police and Fire Service, and other local organisations. Thank you to the RBL, Scouts, Brownies and Guides, Manor Care Home, Bonfire Society, the Parish Church, Town Council staff, and NHS Properties (and Sam the security Officer, ex-military for ensuring the area was cleared and tidied, for helping to ensure the success of the parade and service.

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, and

The Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015 (SI 234)

From 1 April, Sevenoaks District Council will no longer supply residents with black waste sacks. Residents are being asked to put their household rubbish in sacks made for waste. These could be the black or grey sacks available from most supermarkets and hardware stores.

During the autumn, the Council will also provide every household with a ‘sack for life’ for their recycling. These will replace clear recycling sacks and will cut down on single use plastics.

The Council will continue to supply residents with black sacks until 31 March and clear sacks until everyone has their recycling sack for life.

Like many authorities, Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) is keen to reduce its carbon footprint as well as tackling rising costs.

Since the pandemic, the volume of household waste and recycling collected has increased significantly with more people working from home and greater reliance on home deliveries.

This has meant the cost of providing the service has rocketed in the past four years with more staff and vehicles needed and increased visits to the waste transfer station. Residents value weekly waste collections and SDC is determined to continue to offer this service for as long as it can.

Removing free waste sacks has been shown to increase recycling rates as residents make the best use of their recycling facilities. Once fully implemented, the changes will also save 30,000 miles of driving every year to deliver sacks, further cutting carbon emissions.

Cllr Margot McArthur, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner & Greener, says: “As far as we are aware, we are just one of a handful of councils to still provide weekly waste collections and the last in the country to supply residents with waste sacks. We hope that residents will support these changes to deliver both cost reductions as well as helping the environment.

“We are confident that the changes will deliver environmental benefits by encouraging residents to make the best use of our recycling facilities, decreasing our use of disposable plastics and reducing travel – cutting the District’s carbon footprint.”

Black sacks will still be available to purchase from Edenbridge Town Council offices for the time being.