The Leader opened his statement by speaking about the recent failure of the water infrastructure on the Isle of Sheppey, and the declaration by Swale Borough Council (SBC) to declare a water emergency.  He said he had major reservations in the role that Southern Water (SW) played and pointed out that the company had not learnt any lessons from the previous incident in 2016.  The Leader said that Members and Officers had expressed their concerns to SW and impressed upon them the priority need for a second pipeline onto the Isle of Sheppey.

The Leader said that SBC were seeking compensation from SW for losses the Council had suffered, and he said that the process on how others who were impacted could be compensated would be advertised.

The Leader thanked SBC staff who he said responded magnificently to the emergency, along with staff from Maidstone Borough Council and volunteers from the Borough.

The Leader then referred to the second water emergency in the Borough which occurred at Dunkirk and the surrounding villages, and he again thanked staff and volunteers for their assistance.  He also drew attention to the fire at Barton’s Point, Minster, paid tribute to staff in all incidents, and said their response was immediate.

Referring to the £20 million Levelling-Up Fund bid that would shortly be submitted, the Leader outlined the planned projects known as the Sheerness Revival, that, if successful, would benefit residents including an upgrade of the community, visitor and leisure facilities around Beachfields, Sheppey College extension, and an upgrade of Master’s House, Sheerness. He spoke about the creation of jobs as part of the proposals.  The Leader said that Swale had been awarded Priority 1 status in the bidding and the outcome of the bid would be known in autumn 2022.

The Leader said that SBC would shortly be submitting its Investment Plan which would allow the Council to drawdown on £1.17 million UK Shared Prosperity Funding.  He said a cross party working group had met to agree priorities and suggest projects following recommendations made by the Regeneration and Property Committee on 7 July 2022. 

Referring to the hot weather, the Leader said that it was important during the summer season that tourism and visitor centres were able to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.  He said that Members could all play their part in supporting community events across the Borough and he was delighted to announce that both Oare Country Park and Church Milton Country Park had been awarded a Green Flag.  The Leader also gave an update on the restoration of the Sheerness Clock Tower.  He described Swale’s rich heritage and explained that the character Jack Sparrow was in part based on local pirate John Jack Ward who was born in Faversham in 1553.  The Leader said that it was national Talk Like a Pirate Day on 19 September 2022 and he encouraged Members to research the history of John Jack Ward.

Finally, the Leader said he was delighted to attend the Municipal Journal (MJ) awards at which SBC employee Grace Crouch, Climate and Ecological Emergency Project Officer, was announced as the winner of the Rising Stars award.  Members applauded Grace’s success.

Members responded to the Leader’s Statement and asked questions and raised points including:

·         There was a lack of sewage facilities in the Borough;

·         more reservoirs were needed;

·         questioned whether the public on the Isle of Sheppey wanted the projects chosen in the Levelling-Up bid;

·         praise for Green Flag awards but other parks could be better maintained;

·         the fire at Barton’s Point could have been avoided with better maintenance and control of the facilities;

·         supported the work to the Sheerness Clocktower;

·         gave congratulations to the staff member receiving the MJ award;

·         the Council had worked hard to reflect the views and needs of the residents of the Isle of Sheppey in the Levelling-Up bid;

·         was critical that the Government expected tight deadlines for submission of Levelling Up bids, allowing little time, but frequently delayed the outcome;

·         thanked the Environment Team for their help in the water supply issues at Dunkirk and was critical of South East Water and their lack of communication;

·         praised Kris Staples (Green Spaces Ranger), and Rosie Lancaster (Green Spaces Apprentice) for their enthusiasm, approach and work at Milton Creek Country Park;

·         thanked all volunteers at Milton Creek Country Park;

·         highlighted that the Green Flag was awarded on first application;

·         gave credit to the Climate Change team;

·         would there be an investigation on the fire at Barton’s Point by SBC?;

·         compared the difference in how different water companies reacted to the water emergencies and said that SW had no plan;

·         the Faversham Hop Festival which drew in large numbers of tourists, was returning in September 2022; and

·         praised the passion of SBC officers.

The Leader congratulated Councillor Ken Ingleton on becoming Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group.

In response to queries raised, the Leader said that the Levelling Up bid was restricted to the parameters outlined by Central Government and officers had carried out an excellent job in following the process.  The Leader said he would love to see a Green Flag at Barton’s Point, and the fire at the location was being investigated.  Referring to the water emergencies, the Leader said they, along with flooding and unaddressed leaks in the Borough were being raised with SW.