Plans for Tunbridge Wells Montessori nursery school could transform empty shop

A new Montessori nursery school could open in the heart of Tunbridge Wells. Plans have been submitted to Tunbridge Wells Council to convert a vacant shop.

Council documents show the applicant is Green Cave Daycare, which already has a nursery on Vale Road in Tunbridge Wells, a stone’s throw from the proposed site. The company said it wanted to open a second site to meet “increased demand for childcare capacity created by the government’s extensive free funding scheme”.

The plans are for Sofa Workshop in the Great Hall Arcade, a small shopping centre in Great Hall and opposite Tunbridge Wells railway station. The building was once home to Carriages Nightclub for many years.

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It now houses BBC South East on a number of floors, with the arcade accessed through large, glazed double doors. Green Cave Daycare said it wanted to convert the vacant store into a Montessori preschool for children aged three to five. It will employ seven full-time staff and 10 part-time staff, bringing the total number of full-time roles to 12. It will be open Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6.30pm.

The plans show that on the ground floor there would be an office, a new bathroom with two toilets suitable for toddlers, a Montessori room and a cooking and art room. And in the basement there would be a new storage room, a yoga room and a wet room. There is no information in the plans about the use of the yoga and wet room.

Kent Police issued a two-page response to the proposals, which made eight key points. These included that CCTV should be installed to monitor the main entrances, reception and car park. It also said that all gates to a rear or side entrance should be “securely lockable” on both sides and that all visitors should report to reception and that the receptionist at their desk should have a clear view of the waiting area. Desks should have limited access from the public side, the report said.

The police also said: “Due to the proposed use of the site, we recommend that the applicant assess the current security and boundary treatments of the site. We recommend that boundary treatments be 1.8m high with support beams pointing inwards. Any gates to a rear/side access must also be securely lockable on both sides. It is essential that there is no unauthorised access to the rear of the site, either via the side access route or from adjacent properties.”

In the spring of 2004, the Civic Society Newsletter published a fascinating article about the Great Hall, detailing the 1980 arson attack which eventually led to the site being redeveloped by Speyhawk Land and Estates. This included the Great Hall Arcade with its 12-unit Victorian shopping arcade and a car park to the rear, which opened in 1985.

Fascinating history

The article revealed that the building had fallen into disrepair in the early 1970s and that in 1972 Kent County Council approved plans to demolish it, despite opposition from councillors and members of the public. Delays with development consent meant that nothing happened at the site for over two years. It was later saved from the wrecking ball after plans to replace it with a four-storey complex of shops and offices were ultimately blocked by the government.

The hall reopened in 1979 as the Carriages Nightclub, before being destroyed in a suspected arson attack in September 1980. Plans to demolish and redevelop the site resurfaced, but The Civic Society managed to fend off the proposals and the council delayed its decision. In November 1983, planning permission was granted to convert the building into 12 shops with a car park, but retaining the original frontage.

What is Montessori?

“Montessori is a scientifically based educational approach that emphasizes independence, freedom within limits and respect for the natural psychological, physical and social development of a child. It was developed by the Italian physician and pedagogue Maria Montessori,” from the Montessori School of Mallorca.

Here you can view the plans and read the documents