The two councils are uniting in a one-stop shop the museum, art gallery, library and adult education services. The beauty of this proposed centre is that it will be at the heart of the local community but will also be available for the wider area. 

[quote=David Jukes, Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council]"Work will ... develop what will be one of the best cultural centres in the region.”[/quote]

Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East, said: “Transforming two buildings into a flexible community space is a practical and imaginative way to get more people interested and involved with their local heritage. Joint working is something we always welcome; the additional involvement of Kent County Council made this an extremely attractive project for us to support with the help of National Lottery players’ money.”

David Jukes, Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, added: “Work will start as soon as possible to select architects and professionals to develop what will be one of the best cultural centres in the region.”

The two councils are now looking at building designs with the aspiration to start work in early 2018.