2025 marks a special milestone as the Council celebrates 130 years of serving the people of Edenbridge.
It’s a great opportunity to reflect on our past achievements and initiatives that have shaped our town, as well as look ahead to continuing our service to the community. Throughout the year, we’ll be organising some activities to celebrate this anniversary, and we hope you’ll join us in making it memorable.
A look back at the last 30 years
Much water has flowed under the Great Stone Bridge since Edenbridge celebrated the Centenary of its local Council in 1995, and a quarter of the 21st century has already passed. Here is a look back over 30 years in which community and Council have seen many changes.
Edenbridge Town Council : 1995 to 2005
1994/5 | Stangrove pond re-established – phase 2 landscape works
Stage one of the pond reclamation had already taken place, with residents and Council working together to clear overgrowth and silt so the feature could be restored as an open stretch of water and wildlife habitat, with an island and a graded depth. Stage two was the landscape and planting works. A detailed information painting at the pond shows the range of creatures and plants which can be found.
1998 | Edenbridge Design Statement created – updated 2000
Qualities of the environment in and around Edenbridge which residents valued were recorded in this project supported by community and Council, under the umbrella of Edenbridge Town Forum which had formed in 1994. Characteristics of building styles and design features were highlighted, from windows and doors, to types of bricks, tiles and timber – also property and estate boundaries, fencing and walls, and use of hedging and trees. It was adopted to guide and inform future planners and developers as the end of the 20th century approached. This document is still listed as a supplementary planning document for town and village design statements (though other documents are now also used).
1999-2000 | Church House/Rickards Hall refurbished – Eden Valley Museum opened
With funding from the Heritage National Lottery, a long-held dream of bringing local history items into one place in a dedicated museum was realised. Complete refurbishment of the medieval Church House, alongside Rickards Hall and courtyard, produced a multi-room showcase of life in the town and surrounding Eden Valley, dating from Roman times and beyond. Themed displays changing every year feature beside the permanent exhibits, with the work of volunteers continuing a key part of creating and stewarding this window on the past.
2000 | Mowshurst and the Millennium Wood
Once a part of Great Mowshurst Farm, the Town Council decided in 1997 to find a new use for a section of its land beyond the football pitches off Four Elms Road. Three stages of work began with restoring a large pond. Then came laying pathways around the five acre site, to serve the new woodland being added as the third stage. Around 2,000 young trees were planted, mostly of varieties native to the Weald, as “a lasting gift from one millennium to another”. Today they are well grown, and the area is maintained as natural woodland to encourage wildlife and plant habitat.
2001 | Community Appraisal – survey report published
Taking a “snapshot in time” in the summer of 2001, the Community Appraisal organised by the Town Forum was hand-delivered to 3,500 households in the parish, asking what they thought of the town then and what they wanted it to be like in future. The resulting Community View report raised issues for the future, and the question – what next? Some actions were already in hand when the report was published. Others were being investigated to make use of external funding available for improvement projects.
2002 | Community Warden – a new role
Edenbridge acquired its first Community Warden under a 50% Government funded three-year programme with Sevenoaks District Council (SDC), to provide a person in communities who would focus on the quality of the environment, and become a two-way channel of information between residents and councils, and the police. A Steering Group was formed of representatives from local organisations, including housing associations, the John Coldman Trust, SDC and the Town Council, to identify issues to address – such as fly-tipping, graffiti removal and abandoned cars. SDC continued its financial support up to 2010. Over the years the Town Council has increased its contribution to now over 50% of the running costs, and secured grant-funding, to ensure the stability of this role which is highly valued by the community.
2003 | Skate Ramps project – original all-timber structure
Facilities for young people was one of the future wishes which emerged from the Community Appraisal in 2001, and the installation of skate ramp equipment in Blossoms Park was a project which followed-up. The rising popularity of skateboarding had seen ad hoc jumps and ramps appearing in car parks as young people aimed to develop their skills. Wooden riding surface was requested in consultation, and the Town Council provided a purpose built all-in-one facility on a former tennis court at the park on Mill Hill.
2005 | Relief Road completed – opening event: Parade of Transport
Traffic queueing to get through the narrow Edenbridge High Street had long been a local complaint (as far back as the mid-1940s it was reported there was “too much traffic” and a by-pass was needed). Proposals by County and District councils came and went as time passed and costs increased, but residents’ wishes were finally fulfilled in 2005 with the completion of the Relief Road – named Mont St Aignan Way after the twin town.
The Town Council organised a formal opening event with a parade of transport through the decades. First down the new road was an ancient bicycle, followed by a stream of motor vehicles provided by local owners, ranging from vintage and classic cars, to racing cars from John Surtees’ team and a finale of big construction vehicles from the company which built the road. At the south end of town the parade turned north and passed up the High Street for more people to share the spectacle.
2005 | First FairTrade Town recognition
Gaining Fairtrade Town status was a milestone for Edenbridge, being in the first small group of five Kent communities given that recognition. The town had a Fairtrade supporting group for years previously, staging regular sales of goods fairly traded. The commitment of key businesses and organisations, including the Town Council, to use/sell Fairtrade products earned the Fairtrade Town status. The recognition was renewed five years later in 2010, and the 10th anniversary celebrated with a street party in the High Street in 2015 – by which time Fairtrade principles had become more widely accepted generally across the country.
Edenbridge Town Council : 2006 to 2015
2007/8 | Visitor destination improvements
Town Councillors’ decision to raise the profile of the town as a visitor destination led to a successful bid for Hidden Britain SE grant funding for a project to build on the area’s heritage and history and natural assets. With a well-maintained public footpath network, 10 local short walks of varying lengths were identified, including one heading east along the Eden Valley walk, and two parish boundary routes. Ten fold-out leaflets were designed, providing informative notes as well as the routes, which proved to be popular with visitors and residents alike.
Two other trails through the High Street were created with their own map leaflets, one of them particularly aimed at children. These highlighted significant buildings through the town’s history, with brief notes on their function across the centuries. In addition, there was a local villages trail.
With the closure of the Tourist Information Centre, the Town Council took over tourism for the town, as a Visitor Information Point which was established on the first floor of the Town Council offices in what was then then Council Chambers. As part of refurbishment of its Grade II Listed building, Doggetts Barn, this included installing a lift to improve access upstairs.
2007/8 | High Street refurbishment – Edenbridge 2008 project
Following the Relief Road opening, there was a Highways project to refurbish the High Street, improving road and pavement surfaces, and altering the roadside parking into a traffic-calming layout, alternating on the sides of the road. Other community development funds were sourced to upgrade the street scene, alongside the road work, under the Town Council’s Edenbridge 2008 project title.
An early phase created a water feature from a disused stream bed, the Mill Leat, at the lower end of the High Street. It had become an eyesore, an overgrown rubbish-magnet, with the odd traffic cone or shopping trolley. Co-operating with the local land-owner, the muddy channel was cleaned out down to gravel bed, revealing a collection of “finds” for the Museum to display. A new bed and banks were made with a cobbled rill, its water circulated by pump from a reservoir at one end to look like a flowing stream. Finished in 2007, the Mill Leat transformation won a regional market towns environmental award.
As the High Street works progressed, a new suite of street furniture was gradually installed, black with gold colour detailing, from signage and planters, to information lecterns, litter bins and bollards. Project funds also provided a Small Business Grants scheme for shop frontages to be refreshed, the final phase in 2008.
2009/10 | Town signs – underlining identity
Two new signs were installed this year, one at each end of the High Street to reflect the identity of the community for visitors and residents alike. One at the south end of town was in the traditional style of village signs, made in wrought iron and showing the then council logo in silhouette of a “Kent horse” backed with the Stone Bridge and hop vine leaves. It was located in the refurbished South End Riverside Gardens, complementing the old stone bridge.
The other sign at the north end of the High street is Welcome to Edenbridge in white on a black slope. It is a feature designed to be overlaid by a weatherproof display board showing the logo, name and date(s) of local orgnisations to highlight significant anniversaries or celebrations.
Four entry signs welcoming people to Edenbridge, Charter Market Town and twinned with Mont St Aignan, were installed on the main roads into the town from north, south, east and west.
2010 | Blossoms Park – landscaping and metal frame skate ramps
With the timber framework of the skate ramps affected by the elements, the Town Council gained grant funding to replace the equipment with skate ramps on metal framework, along with new fencing and landscaping in that area of Blossoms Park. It was part of a wider project to improve facilities for young people, which included upgrade of the playground on Stangrove estate and of The Pen games court at Spitals Cross, owned by the District Council.
2010/11 | Pride In Our Town
This campaign was launched to encourage people to have pride in their town, building on the success of the Community Warden role in improving the environment of the local area. As the first Warden retired after eight years, the Town Council took over employment and management of the role. The new Warden headed a group of voluntary litter pickers, keen to carry out clearance “blitzes” arranged from time to time at regular grot-spots. Suitably kitted out with high-vis, gloves and litter-pick sticks, they worked with the Warden, in an ever-growing team, and in 2015 won an award from Sevenoaks for Making a Difference in their community. Ten years later the current Warden and team are still blitzing litter.
2011 | Family Fun Days – free summer holidays activities at Stangrove Park
When provision of free summer holiday activities was withdrawn by other providers, the Town Council decided to commission a play-leading company to continue delivering sessions in Stangrove Park. Joining with other parishes in the Sevenoaks area, Edenbridge activities remained part of a wider summer programme. The Town Council funded four Thursday afternoons of Free Family Fun, attended by children and parents enjoying arts and crafts, field games and an inflatable, as well as an additional activity each week, such as a magic show, face-painting, drumming, balloon modelling, with circus skills, pad-boxing, and an obstacle course one year. The Council’s commitment to local families still continues each summer.
2012 | Stangrove Park – playground replacement
Children’s play equipment and the wooden fencing surround at this playground had become dated, and the Town Council undertook a complete refurbishment this year, in consultation with the users up to eight years old, and parents, including those with babies as future users.
The work was completed in three months, and the new playground with metal fencing was formally opened in time for Christmas, with Santa Claus in attendance.
2012 | High Street Jubilee Clock replaced
To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, Town Councillors decided to replace the old Town Clock, which had been installed in 1935 on the former NatWest Bank building (now a nursery school) for the Silver Jubilee of King George V. It had become unreliable, and a new double-faced design was selected, with the Queen’s Jubilee marked on one side, and George V’s on the other. Renowned clockmakers Gillett and Johnston, formerly based in Croydon and known also for their bell foundry until 1957, were commissioned to make and install the clock. Their clock repair and maintenance service is still based in Fircroft Way in Edenbridge.
2013 | Winter flooding
River flooding in very wet seasons has been a feature in Edenbridge history, though less frequent since the flood defence bunds were installed in the 1980s to protect the riverside and south end of the town. The Town Council maintains an Emergency Planning Committee, comprising a team of councillors and trained volunteers, keeping a small store of basic equipment for communication and initial response to civil emergencies. The activity in recent decades has been for weather-related incidents, and the team provided support to the blue-light services, and larger councils’ response, as required – including local knowledge and on-the-ground situation updates.
The winter of 2013/14 through to February was one of these periods. Starting with an alert on Christmas Eve, which was stood down by the afternoon. Then again in the New Year, with the Council ready to support residents in roads closest to the river if necessary. A year later there was a similar pattern for winter in 2014/15, and again a New Year alert in 2016.
The flooding in 2013 damaged the bund along the rear of Cobbetts Way, and working with the Environment Agency the Town Council secured rebuilding the bund and a new pathway connecting access also from Mont St Aignan Way to the Recreation Ground. There was also new observations platforms provided in Town Field.
2014 | Speedwatch launched
Responding to on-going complaints about drivers’ speed on some roads, the Community Warden who joined the team in 2013, headed up a small team of trained volunteers to involve Edenbridge in the Speedwatch scheme. They would set-up at approved locations, and monitor drivers’ speeds, noting registrations of those driving over the speed limits, with repeat offenders receiving a letter from the Police.
2014/17 | Neighbourhood Plan Project
Planning for future development became an option for local communities, with the chance to create a Neighbourhood Plan, to fit within the planning system alongside the Local Plan framework required from larger district and borough councils for these wider areas. The Town Council decided to develop a Neighbourhood Plan and formed a steering group of community representatives from stakeholder groups to launch the process.
It began with a leaflet “Have Your Say” delivered to each household, to update residents’ views of their community and wishes for its future (nearly 15 years on from the similar 2001 survey). Key themes emerged, as a basis for a Vision for the town ahead to 2030, and then Objectives for the policies, with five focus topics: housing; local economy; environment; health/learning/wellbeing; and infrastructure.
Five voluntary topic task groups were created to explore issues and analyse needs, engaging with the community in many different ways, meeting regularly to report back and eventually formulate the policies. The draft Neighbourhood Plan was ready in October 2017, but the District Council embarked on developing a new Local Plan, and the Edenbridge project was halted pending a new Sevenoaks Local Plan against which the Neighbourhood Plan would need to be reviewed and revised.
2015 | Street light replacement programme
The Council owned and managed 249 streetlights, but many were the old concrete or steel type dating back to the 1960s and 70s. Council replaced 30 columns to a new galvanised style. This led to the Council later implementing a rolling replacement programme with the next tranche in 2018 with another 10 replaced. In 2025, there are now just 10 concrete columns and 15 older steels to replace, and upgrading the lanterns to LED continues.
