Tonbridge Miniature Railway fears new Angel Centre will be built on their site

The location of the miniature railway in the heart of the town has been highlighted on a business plan for the relocation of the aging leisure centre

Transcript

00:00 Could this be the end of the line for Tunbridges Miniature Railway?

00:04 [TRAIN HORN]

00:06 The local attraction has been bringing tourists to the town centre for the past 70 years

00:11 but its future now in doubt.

00:13 The current site could be home to the town's new leisure centre.

00:18 The railway is next to the local pools.

00:21 And there's a second ageing centre in the town that's going to be replaced

00:26 but plans suggest, well if they're building a new leisure centre, build it next to the pools.

00:31 I think it would mean the end of the club because the structure that we've got is too old to be relocated.

00:37 We did discuss with the council the possibility of moving when they were doing the pool

00:42 and they would accept the cost but when they saw what the cost would be

00:46 their faces went white and they decided not to proceed.

00:50 They just moved the station area slightly and we remained where we are

00:54 and we're happy to have remained since 1951.

00:57 The reason for the new leisure centre is to replace the old ageing centre.

01:02 The Angel Centre was built in the 80s and Tunbridge and Morningborough Council say

01:07 it doesn't meet their net zero goals.

01:10 The site of the relocation hasn't yet been confirmed

01:14 but the leader of the council says it's early days but he denies it's the site of the railway.

01:20 So actually I think I can safely say to anyone who uses the miniature railway

01:25 that that site isn't one that we'll be going forward as one where we could put leisure facilities.

01:30 Of course we do need to look for suitable sites for alternative leisure facilities

01:36 but there are other options in the town and also in the council's ownership as well

01:41 and my anticipation is that we'll be looking at them.

01:44 A replacement to the Angel Centre could cost the council upwards of £17 million

01:51 and that decision is supported by opposition political groups.

01:55 We're very concerned. We just want the council to be clear about what is going on.

02:01 We want them to be honest. We want to give them reassurance.

02:04 So the best thing they could do in our view would be to allow them to have a 20-year licence

02:10 to operate from that site and to confer something called local green space designation on there.

02:17 So for the term of the next local plan there would be no development allowed on that space.

02:22 The club say they are meeting with the council leader next week.

02:25 They hope then there'll be more clarity on whether or not they'll be allowed to stay here or not.

02:31 Gabriel Morris for KNTV in Tunbridge.