Images of Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Centre
View from Mount Ephraim towards Telephone House and Europa House (Wellington Gate) - July 2002

Thomas Rothermel, Crest Nicholson's Conservation Area Expert at the Public Inquiry:
" KEY SPACES 4.4.3: The composition of this wide space is wrecked by the ugliness, height and bleakness of Telephone House, and its tarmaced front car park and cheap looking boundary wall. Similarly Europa House [the overbearing building on the right] makes a harmful southern boundary to the space between it and the former church."
He continues: "Note height bulk and ugly form of Europa House."
He adds (HARMFUL ELEMENTS 4.5.2): " Europa House in its present configuration is grotequely ugly in itself an alamingly insensitive to the listed terrace which is next to it on its western side. Europa House, now called Wellington Gate, is five huge storeys high in its main elevation with a further mansard floor, and then another two lumpy layers above that. Both in short, and long views, its bulk, form, massing and detail design do immense harm to this part of the conservation area. The detailed design of the main front elevation is execrable with silly little pediments and uncouth vaguely classical motifs producing an extremely clumsy and inept design. "

Europa House will be part of the view of future residents of the development on Church Road.

Conclusion:
The new development will sell well to people with no interest in picturesque views!
Another possible group might be those bragging that they live in one of the most ugly parts of South East!
Owners might decide later to have their windows bricked altogether - Why would one open them anyway? According to a Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Study: "the high levels of traffic flow experienced in the typical morning and evening 'rush hours' are extending into the rest of the day" and locals can confirm that even during the night heavy lorries rumble through Church Road.

14.02.2003 - Open views - for how long?

February 2003 - Demolition of Telephone House - Long forgotten views

Continue to browse the interactive Map of Tunbridge Wells Town Centre

The Telephone House Neighbours Association informs on CALA Homes (South) Development: CALA Group acquired the controversial planning permission for the high density development of Telephone House site, Church Road / York Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1.