Tenterden & District Residents' Association: To help to preserve, protect, develop and improve Tenterden and the surrounding area for the benefit of its inhabitants and the public at large.

About Us

Who Are We?

• We are residents of Tenterden and District who care about the town and its future. We combine to present a united voice on matters that we feel are important to the town and the wellbeing of its residents.
• We are a registered charity No. 1121579.
• We are strictly non-political. Our members come from all walks of life and include homeowners and tenants of all ages, with a wide variety of interests.
• We are not a campaign group but strive to provide a focus for matters of interest and concern to the whole of the population of Tenterden as determined by the committee.

How Do We Operate?

• The committee, elected by members at the AGM, meets ten times a year to consider matters raised by members, and our Planning Committee’s responses to current planning applications.
• We seek to engage with residents of Tenterden and the villages around the town that make up the district.
• On major issues affecting the whole community we will arrange meetings to canvas opinions and guide the TDRA response.
• We strive to focus on what is of overall benefit to the town and district.
• We follow Charity Commission guidance as the committee members are also Trustees of the Charity.
• We are open and transparent. Minutes of meetings will be posted to the TDRA website on a monthly basis.
• Any money raised through donations is used only to further the aims of the TDRA.

What Do We Do?

• Listen to the views of our members.
• Take up their concerns on planning, local services and environmental issues where the committee agrees it would be in the interests of the majority of the community.
• Collaborate with other local organisations, e.g. through working parties, on matters of common interest so our members interests are represented.
• Monitor relevant planning applications that are submitted to Ashford Borough Council and comment where community interests are involved. We do not arbitrate on neighbour’s disputes, but we do offer guidance on sources of official advice and procedure.
• Propose measures that we believe will improve the quality of our environment and meet Tenterden and District’s community needs.
• Comment on the overall County and Borough-wide plans and other general planning issues especially where there may be implications for Tenterden.
• Hold an annual coffee morning each to enable members and non-members to meet committee members informally to raise matters of individual concern.
• Communicate with members by email and other forms of social media where possible including contributing articles and commentary to relevant neighbourhood websites, blogs, magazines, newspapers and social media outlets.
• Hold an Annual General Meeting each Spring to report to members, elect officers and committee members and hear an invited speaker on subjects of local interest.

The Tenterden & District Residents’ Association Constitution can be downloaded here in Adobe PDF format (2.5Mb). This requires Adobe Acrobat Reader which is included on most modern computers but can also be downloaded here for free.