NEW CHAIRMAN ELECTED FOR 2010-2011

Tandridge District Council’s Chairman for 2010-2011 is Councillor Alan Jones. The previous chairman, Councillor Mrs Glynis Whittle, presented him with the ceremonial chain of office when he was elected at last night’s Annual Council meeting.

The Vice-Chairman of the Council, also elected at last week’s meeting, is Councillor Brian Perkins, who represents Lingfield & Crowhurst Ward.

Councillor Jones has represented Burstow, Horne & Outwood since 2000. For the past year he has been the Council Vice-Chairman and member of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. During the last 10 years he has served on most committees and was Vice-Chairman of Licensing at the time licensing powers were transferred from Magistrates’ Court to local councils, leading to the creation of a new licensing service.

He represents the Council on outside bodies, particularly those dealing with aviation, serving on a National Local Government Committee and various Gatwick Airport committees. He is the Council’s representative on GATCOM for noise-related issues and also sits on a Department for Transport Aircraft Noise committee.

The Chairman has chosen the following two charities to support during his year:

• GRACE (Gynae-oncology Research and Clinical Excellence), a Guildford based charity whose founder operated on and cured his wife and many other women in the district of cancer.

• World Horse Welfare (formerly ILPH), an international charity that saves horses from negligent owners and loans them to good homes. Until recently, the charity owned a farm in the district and the Jones family cared for and rode one of their horses for 20 years.

Councillor Jones is a Chartered Electrical Engineer who worked for most of his career with the National Grid.

Councillor Jones’ Consort will be his wife, Yvonne, a retired state school teacher.