The Scrutiny Committee met to discuss Kent County Council's preparedness for winter, review a call-in regarding amendments to the Heritage Conservation Strategy concerning the divestment of eight windmills, and consider the findings of a short-focused inquiry into recent water supply issues. The committee noted the report on winter preparedness, debated the windmill divestment decision, and agreed to forward the water supply inquiry report to the Leader and relevant Cabinet members for a formal response.

KCC Preparedness for Winter

The committee reviewed a report detailing Kent County Council's (KCC) response to winter pressures in 2025/2026 and its preparedness for the upcoming winter of 2026/2027. Discussions highlighted significant pressures on health and social care systems, with particular focus on staff vacancies and the uptake of flu vaccinations. While KCC agreed to all requests for frontline care staff recruitment, a challenge remains in finding sufficient candidates. The report noted that flu vaccination rates, especially among school-aged children, were lower than desired, with vaccine hesitancy and practical issues contributing to this. Efforts are underway to improve uptake through enhanced campaigning and working with partners like NHS England and the Integrated Care Board (ICB). The committee also discussed the progress of the Technology Enhanced Lives (TELs) programme, aimed at digitally monitoring individuals to provide timely support and prevent escalation of needs. This programme is being rolled out, with plans to target vulnerable age groups and expand its reach into care settings. Discussions also touched upon the complexities of adult social care pathways, the need for flexible community-based services, and the potential for leveraging government investment. The committee noted the report and agreed that further analysis on vaccine uptake versus flu incidence, and the accuracy of flu predictions, would be beneficial.

Call-in of Decision 26/00007 - Heritage Conservation Strategy Amendment

The committee considered a call-in regarding amendments to the Heritage Conservation Strategy, specifically concerning the divestment of KCC's eight windmills. The decision to divest was made in August 2024, with the strategy update reflecting this policy change. The Growth, Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee had recommended establishing a single Kent Windmills Trust to coordinate management and support volunteer groups. However, the Cabinet Member declined this recommendation, citing a preference for empowering local communities to propose their own solutions, the potential for a single trust to impose a one size fits all model, and the inconsistency of establishing a trust with the decision to divest. The Cabinet Member also stated that KCC would support viable community-led trust proposals during the divestment process. Arguments were made that rejecting the trust option lacked sufficient analysis and evidence, and that the decision did not adequately consider the council's strategic objective of securing sustainable outcomes and minimising long-term risk. Concerns were raised about the potential for windmills to be sold off without safeguards, leading to a loss of heritage and community value. The committee debated the procedure and reasoning behind the decision, with officers explaining that a trust model was considered as part of the divestment options appraisal in 2023 and deemed inconsistent with the decision to divest. Ultimately, the committee voted to express comments but not require reconsideration of the decision, recommending that the strategy to ensure the protection of the windmills be followed, aligning with the council's policy framework.

Short Focused Inquiry - Water Supply Issues

The committee reviewed the report from the Short Focused Inquiry into the water supply failures experienced in Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas in late 2025 and across Kent in January 2026. The inquiry gathered evidence from KCC services, external organisations including water companies, and parish councils. Key issues identified included inadequate communication from water companies, insufficient identification and support for vulnerable residents, challenges with emergency water distribution, particularly in rural areas, and a lack of alignment between planning, water resource management, and emergency response frameworks. The report highlighted that recurrent outages were symptomatic of limited infrastructure resilience, exacerbated by housing growth and ageing assets. Recommendations were made to KCC, including reviewing multi-agency communication protocols, strengthening sector-specific contingency guidance for schools and care settings, and advocating for national policy changes to make water companies statutory consultees for new developments. The committee agreed to submit the report and its recommendations to the Leader and relevant Cabinet members, requesting a formal response within two months.

Work Programme

The committee noted the proposed work programme for upcoming meetings, which included items such as VAT and Business Rates on private school fees, the relative cost of market-provided versus KCC-owned care homes, and a report back on the water supply recommendations.