Our Candidates for 2024
Alison Webster
Alison Webster has lived in Goudhurst for over 20 years and her children and grandchildren have been educated locally. She works at Tunbridge Wells Hospital as a Care Support worker and during lockdown trained as a volunteer vaccinator and worked at Headcorn Aerodrome, vaccinating up to 250 people a day.
Alison is Secretary of the popular Goudhurst Ex- Servicemen’s Club and a Parish councillor sitting on Planning, Amenities, Business and Communications, Highways and Youth and Housing.
Alison was elected as Borough Councillor for Goudhurst and Lamberhurst in 2023.
Clare Escombe
Clare has lived in Hawkhurst for more than 10 years. She has been a parish councillor since 2017, during which time she has worked hard to protect the village from inappropriate development, a major success being the refusal of the Hawkhurst Golf Club application. Clare works locally as a farm secretary and bookkeeper and is chair of F4F Hawkhurst Foodbank.
David Knight
David Knight moved to Goudhurst from Tunbridge Wells in 1999, with his wife to raise their two children in the Kent countryside.
He still works locally at the business he founded in 1987 and is committed to providing more effective, independent, representation for our villages at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, where he was elected Borough Councillor for Goudhurst and Lamberhurst in May 2021.
He is also the Rural Communities Champion for TWBC and has helped to bring fibre broadband to over 900 household in the area which has changed residents lives, more info here.
Ellen Neville
Ellen brings experience and expertise to the role of Cabinet member for Environmental Services. She was a key part of restoring and securing Council finances, seeking out infrastructure solutions for Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, tackling crime, helping those in need and seizing opportunities to revive Tunbridge Wells town centre and, importantly, our rural areas with work in the Neighbourhood Development groups.
There are a wide range of projects in the pipeline for her ward that will come into effect over the next few years.
Jon Farina
I have lived in the borough for over 20 years and on the Bidborough - Southborough border for over 3 years where I live with my wife and family. I work in technology and enjoy solving problems.
I believe strongly that residents should have a voice on the borough council, independent from the influence of a nation party, and free from 'whipping'. The Alliance would allow me to fully represent you in the new ward of Southborough and Bidborough.
Kit Hawes-Webb
I was born in Tunbridge Wells. I met my wife here and in 2023 my son was born here too. Having lived in or around the town for 36+ years, I care deeply for this truly unique area. I work in the Video Game industry and am a proud father, husband and cat dad. I grew up playing in bands at the TW Forum, volunteering with WKD archaeology and playing sports in local teams.
I am standing for the Alliance in the ward of St James’ where I’m raising my family because it is a local, independent party focused on improving the town and borough, and not for what’s best for a national party. I will focus on local issues and work to make the ward and town a clean and safe place to live and work, and promote a vibrant economy whilst conserving the character of our wonderful town.
Matthew Sankey
I grew up in Speldhurst before moving away after my father sold The George & Dragon. I moved back with my family some 13 years ago now and love the village. I have played an active role as Councillor having been elected in 2022, helping residents with local issues.
I am committed to ensuring that our voices are heard in the council & that every resident has someone they can contact if they need help.
I have really enjoyed representing my ward over the last two years. I have helped countless people with planning applications, some their own apps and others wanting help to understand how to effectively object to an application.
The Cycle Path from Langton to Tunbridge Wells that I promised I would push for is at its design stage and I regularly meet with the team to ensure that things are progressing.
I currently sit on the Finance & Governance Advisory board, The Audit & Governance Panel, The Investment Advisory Panel & The Property Asset Oversight Panel & Licensing.
Whilst Cabinet makes the final decisions it's these boards give the council its steer and offer advice to the officers & cabinet about key decisions. I use my experience from running my own business as well as listening to what I’m being told directly by those living in my ward.
In my role as Small Business Champion I have worked with the Economic Development team to help them understand how small business locally work and what they want out of the local authority.
I would love to continue this work and more, Thank you.
Nancy Warne
I was born and grew up on a farm near Cranbrook and have lived in the town since the 1990s.
I have been a borough councillor since 2019 and the Deputy Leader of TWBC and Cabinet Member for Communities since May 2022. From 2016 to 2022 I was a Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Councillor, where I led the Neighbourhood Plan which was successfully ‘made’ in October 2023.
It’s been a busy year, but I haven’t let that distract me from focusing on my ward’s residents. Some of the things I’ve helped bring about this year include:
• Achieved successful grant applications for community groups and small businesses from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and West Kent Rural Grant Fund.
• Supported the parish council’s successful bid for the former Weald Sixth Form Centre in Cranbrook to be listed on the TWBC Asset of Community Value Register.
• Been proactive in holding the police to account in combatting incidences of anti-social behaviour.
• Worked with users and the management team of the Weald Sports Centre to collaborate in improving service provision.
• Secured the Community Support Fund of £100,000 for the whole borough.
Nick Pope
I was brought up in Lamberhurst Quarter and went to school in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge after which I moved away to study in Bristol and then work in London. I moved back to the area, to Royal Tunbridge Wells, in 2010 where I started to get involved in the community in various ways, including being one of the founding members of the Friends of Calverley Grounds, and supporting my wife's Town Wide Yard Sale which we launched in 2017 and takes place every summer.
I represent Park ward in Royal Tunbridge Wells along with Siobhan O'Connell. We work hard to respond to residents' issues and questions. The types of things I deal with include:
- pushing KCC to deal with potholes and blocked drains,
- lobbying to improve and simplify the traffic restriction on Mount Pleasant by removing the Monson Road dead-end and reducing the long loop local residents have to drive,
- working with Hawkenbury residents, KCC and Berkeley Homes to get an agreement to resurface the roads damaged by the heavy construction lorries over the last 6 years,
- supporting a number of residents dealing with a rogue builder by liaising with our MP, Kent Police and Trading Standards, and
- providing advice and help with planning applications, waste collection issues, and many other things.
Paul Curry
Paul Curry was elected in 2023. He is also the Chair of Speldhurst Parish Council and works as an infrastructure engineer for a major online publisher, with extensive experience in the consumer connectivity, media and startup sectors. He enjoys less-usual travel and experiences; he has toured Chernobyl twice, climbed a wind turbine, trained how to survive at sea, sunk in the Navy’s sinking ship simulator and once had his potatoes stolen, causing a minor media event.
Raised in Brighton, Paul moved to Speldhurst in 2015 and is actively seeking to improve the infrastructure in the area by bringing gigabit fibre connectivity to the surrounding area. He enjoys helping residents navigate our planning system, and executing projects which have a wide-scale impact for the community - but also getting hands-on in directly mending things like gates and fences where possible.
Paul is committed to being available and responsive to all residents who contact him, and believes that a good understanding of our local democratic systems is knowledge worth sharing.