Тонбридж және Маллинг ауданы: тарих, экономика және жергілікті басқару

the district

Kentish ragstone geologically speaking is the Upper Greensand Ridge, used in church building in Kent.

The land included is mainly agricultural – orchards, and livestock in the main – although major business parks and buildings within 30 mile (48 km) coupled with the railways and the motorway means a majority of working residents commute to work in the more built up villages and Tonbridge. The new settlement of Kings Hill can be regarded as tied in with the economy of Maidstone equally with that of parts of Kent further to the western extremity. A remnant of the once flourishing hop growing industry is provided by a tourist attraction at Beltring: once the Whitbread Hop Farm, it puts on weekend exhibitions and shows. Tonbridge and Malling has 27 listed buildings in the highest category of the national system, Grade I. This includes eight churches, five reduced structures left over from St Mary's Abbey or Malling Abbey, West Malling and four manor houses, mostly built by lower social ranks than the titled nobility. A diverse materials and appearance construction is Ightham Mote which is recognised in the highest category of the UK's architecture listing system, Grade I, though no longer in private hands. East Malling Research Station disseminates results of research into matters affecting horticultural crops, with particular emphasis on the fruit, hop and nursery stock industries. Many of the villages are beside long distance walks with tourist accommodation, enabling tours of the orchards and bluebell woods.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council provides district level services. County level services are provided by Kent County Council. Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's main offices are at the Gibson Building in Kings Hill, which had been built in 1939 as the officers' mess building of RAF West Malling. The building is named after Wing Commander Guy Gibson, known for leading the Dambusters Raid, who had been based at RAF West Malling in 1941–1942. The council moved to the Gibson Building in November 1974, just a few months after the council's creation. A large extension to the Gibson Building was added in 2000. The council also has an office at Tonbridge Castle, which had been the offices of the former Tonbridge Urban District Council.

Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council has comprised 44 councillors elected from 19 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the area is covered by the larger Tonbridge and Malling Parliamentary Constituency and part of Chatham and Aylesford Parliament constituency.

Much of the district is covered by civil parishes, with the exception being the former Tonbridge Urban District, covering the town of Tonbridge, which is an unparished area. The parish council for Snodland takes the style "town council".

Six railway routes operate through the borough. The South Eastern Main Line on the route London – Tonbridge – Ashford International – Dover crosses the west of the borough with stations at Hildenborough and Tonbridge. The Maidstone East Line on the route Victoria – Maidstone East – Ashford International – Canterbury – Thanet with its stations at Borough Green & Wrotham, West Malling for Kings Hill, East Malling and Barming crosses the north of the borough. From Tonbridge, the Hastings line services run to Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, with some through services from Hastings to London, and the Redhill to Tonbridge Line services run to Redhill: through services on that line to Guildford have been discontinued. The High Speed 1 line with Eurostar services crosses the north of the borough, but there are no stations here, although southeastern high speed commuter services to / from London St Pancras call at Snodland during the morning and evening peak periods. The Medway Valley Line links the North Kent Line at Strood with the South Eastern Main Line at Paddock Wood railway station. Stations are at Snodland, New Hythe, and Aylesford on the Strood – Maidstone West section of the line in the north of the borough and Wateringbury on the Maidstone West – Paddock Wood section of the line in the south of the borough. Beltring and Brandbridges Halt is close to the borough boundary. Trains on this line now run through from Paddock Wood to Tonbridge, but through services from Maidstone West via Strood to London Bridge have been discontinued. The borough has road routes passing through it. There are three motorways: the M2, M20 and the M26; three west east roads (A20; A21 and the A26 road). Three other roads of similar stature are the A227, A228 and A229. In addition there are long distance footpaths, among them the Greensand Way, the Medway Valley Walk, the Wealdway and the Eden Valley Walk.

Tonbridge and Malling has youth projects and organisations including Cupid FM, the first ever youth radio station or project of its kind within the area. The project received funding and support from Kent County Council and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, and during 2006 set up a studio and online broadcast which came to a close in November of that year. The station was run by local teens and music was populated by the latest chart hits.

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling.

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. 29 Squadron, RAF.