Minutes:
The Leader reported that since the last meeting the devastating news had been received of Aylesford Newsprint going into administration. At the time the company employed some 300 people locally and the news had come as a shock to the staff. In response, officers from the Council had put in place arrangements with JobCentre Plus, neighbouring authorities and the administrators to support those employees affected.
Reference was made to the ongoing impact on the Council in terms of lost recycling income and business rates. In respect of the latter, just before Parliament was dissolved, the Leader was able to secure a meeting with the local government minister, Kris Hopkins, to make him aware of the significant impact on the Council’s business rate income. The Chief Executive, Director of Finance and Transformation, Councillor Coffin and Tracey Crouch MP had also attended the meeting and were made aware of a Treasury long term review of business rates. As part of this, there was already a commitment to consider how to respond to situations where the long term loss of a business site had such a crippling effect on the business rate base of a local authority.
The Leader was pleased to record that Dennis Gardner, Waste and Street Scene Manager, had moved with considerable speed, working with Green Waste Recycling, Smurfit Kappa, Snodland and Veolia to ensure a continued paper recycling service for residents.
The Leader reported that over the past 12 months, a number of long standing staff had left the authority and he mentioned each one and their length of service: Shirley Andrews, Kath Armstrong, Phil Beddoes, Roy Edwards, Paul Griffin, Neil Hewett, Bruce Hill, Chris Hughes, Audrey Page and Lindsay Pearson. A further four members of staff were leaving during the coming months: Cliff Cochrane, Janet Maxwell, Mike O'Brien and Mick Sayer. He indicated that the length of service of each one was a testament to their own loyalty to the Council but suggested that it also said something about the organisation - how it treated its staff and the culture that guided how the residents were served.
The Leader stated that this meeting of the Council would also be the last for a number of colleagues stepping down at the election and he paid individual tribute to them during their years of service: Councillors Andy Allison (24 yrs), Julian Atkins (4 yrs), John Balcombe (8 yrs), Jeannett Bellamy (4 yrs), Rodney Chartres (9 yrs), Jessica Elks (4 yrs), Carol Gale (4 yrs), Liz Holland (12 yrs), Peter Homewood (16 yrs), Anne Moloney (8 yrs), Sue Murray (16 yrs), Trevor Robins (12 yrs), Liz Simpson (24 yrs), David Smith (8 yrs), David Trice (4 yrs) and Christine Woodger (16 yrs).
He recorded special personal appreciation to Sue Murray for her dedicated service and professionalism in the planning and transportation portfolio and in taking the position of Mayor in consecutive years; to Anne Moloney for her chairing of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee during the past four years and for her advice and support; to John Balcombe for developing the newly created economic regeneration portfolio and establishing closer links for the Council with local chambers of commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses; and to Liz Simpson who had served the authority as chairman of the Housing Committee, the first cabinet member for housing and leader of the opposition in which capacity he particularly wished to thank her for her constructive approach.
The Leader concluded by remarking that each of the 16 colleagues retiring from the Council deserved recognition and appreciation for public service to the local communities and the whole Borough. He invited Members to join him in wishing them all the best for the future.