Minutes:
(a) Death of Lady Pender OBE DL
The Chairman announced with great sadness the death of Lady Pender OBE DL on Thursday 26 September 2013.
Lady Pender was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in 2001 and was elected to the County Council in 1981 and served as the Conservative Member for Sandwich until 1997. She was Chairman of the Adoption Agency Sub-Committee, the Community Services Sub-Committee and the Social Services Committee. She served on the Emergency Committee, the Fire and Public Protection Committee, the Policy and Resources Committee, the Police Authority and the Probation Board.
Lady Pender was a Kent Ambassador, Honorary President of the Kent Association for Disabled People, President of Fairbridge Kent, KCA and East Kent National Trust and Patron of Home Start, Maidstone. She was Chairman of Governors at Sandwich Technology School from 1983 to 2001.
Lady Pender was appointed as an Honorary Alderman for the County of Kent on 15 December 2011. She was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list this year for services to the community in Kent.
Mrs Sarah Hohler, Mr Alex King, Dr Mike Eddy, Mr Martin Vye and Mr Steve Manion gave tributes to Lady Pender.
(b) Death of Mr John Tolputt
The Chairman announced with much regret the death, on Thursday 19 September 2013, of Mr John Tolputt, the former Labour County Councillor for Maidstone South East, who served on the County Council between 2001 and 2005. Mr Tolputt was also a Maidstone Borough Councillor representing Heath ward.
Dr Mike Eddy gave a tribute to Mr Tolputt.
(c) Death of Lord Kingsdown, KG PC
The Chairman stated it was with much sadness that he had to inform Members of the death of Robert "Robin" Leigh-Pemberton, Lord Kingsdown, on Sunday 24 November 2013.
Lord Kingsdown was elected to the County Council in 1961 as the Conservative Member for the Hollingbourne No. 2 Division and served until 1977. He was Chairman of the old County Council in 1972 and of the new County Council from 1973 to 1975. He was also the Leader of the Conservative Group. Lord Kingsdown is a former Governor of the Bank of England and Lord Lieutenant of Kent.
Lord Kingsdown was appointed as an Honorary Alderman on 19 December 2009.
Mr Paul Carter, Mrs Paulina Stockell, Mr Roger Truelove, Mr Dan Daley, Mr Mike Harrison, Mr Tom Maddison and Mr Leyland Ridings gave tributes to Lord Kingsdown.
After the minute’s silence:
The Chairman moved, the Vice Chairman seconded and the Council agreed unanimously that the Council records the sense of loss it felt on the sad passing of Lady Pender, Mr John Tolputt and Lord Kingsdown and extend to their families and friends its heartfelt sympathy to them in their sad bereavements.
(d) Severe flood alert – 5 and 6 December 2013
The Chairman stated that, as Members were aware, due to a combination of unusual weather and sea conditions expected during high tides on 5 and 6 December the Environment Agency had issued a severe flood alert for several UK areas. The main risk areas in Kent were Greenhithe, Aylesford, Faversham, Whitstable and Sandwich with some 1,200 properties identified as being most at risk of severe flooding.
KCC Community Wardens had worked in partnership with Police, Fire and Rescue officers and Borough and District staff to go door-to-door in all the affected communities to warn and inform people. Four centres had been opened by KCC and district councils in Sandwich, Whitstable, Faversham and Aylesford with two more opened by Medway Council.
Fortunately the flooding was much less severe across the county than in other areas of the UK. Although flood levels in Sandwich were higher than the Environment Agency had predicted, actually higher than the levels recorded in the tragic storm of 1953, sandbags, temporary flood defences and the new under-construction flood defences stemmed much of the excess water flow.
In total around 104 properties were flooded, 38 homes were evacuated and 30 residents made use of the rest centre facilities with many other residents choosing either to stay at home or make alternative arrangements with friends and relatives.
The Chairman stated that he would like to take this opportunity as Chairman of the County Council and on behalf of all KCC Members to publicly thank all those staff, officers and volunteers from many agencies who had worked tirelessly through the night and over the 36 hour period of the previous Thursday and Friday.
(e) Carols
The Chairman invited all Members to join him for lunch and carols in the Atrium, Invicta House at 1:00 pm.
(f) Honorary Alderman
The Chairman announced that the additional meeting for the Honorary Alderman would take place immediately after the lunch interval at 2:15 pm.