Paddock Wood

Coordinates: 51°10′32″N 0°23′44″E / 51.1756°N 0.3955°E / 51.1756; 0.3955

Paddock Wood is a small town and civil parish in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells and county of Kent in England, about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Maidstone. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 8,263, and is the centre for hop growing in Kent.

Government

Paddock Wood has eight tiers of local government: parish, borough, county, borough, parish, borough, county, parish

Borough council

Since 1974 Paddock Wood has formed part of the Borough of Tunbridge Wells. The borough is governed by a 48-member council. The town elects 4 borough councillors, with 2 each for the Paddock Wood East and Paddock Wood West wards. They are all members of the majority Conservative Party.

County council

The upper tier of local government is provided by Kent County Council. The county council has 84 members, with each representing an electoral district. Paddock Wood forms part of the electoral district of Tunbridge Wells Rural.