Tributes paid to former colliery manager, magistrate and Stafford Borough Council cabinet member
Tributes have been paid to a former colliery manager who went on to become a magistrate and community leader credited with reducing council tax for Stafford Borough residents one year.
Ken Williamson was made an Honorary Alderman in recognition of the service he gave as a Stafford Borough councillor for 16 years.
The Conservative member was first elected to represent Gnosall and Woodseaves in 2003 and he retired from the authority in 2019. His funeral was held on Monday (July 21) and following the announcement of his death, the flag at Stafford Borough Council’s Civic Centre was flown at half mast.
Former Stafford Borough Council leader Patrick Farrington has led tributes to the proud Lancastrian who went on to serve Staffordshire communities. He said: “As a fellow Lancastrian, I was very privileged to see Ken as a working politician and understood his dry humour, being cut from the same cloth.
“Ken was a very successful mining engineer. When the National Coal Board was privatised he moved to Staffordshire where he was colliery manager at several pits including Littleton and under his leadership, Littleton broke its production records.
“With the demise of the coal industry Ken retired early and became a local magistrate which gave him the clear vision, always based on evidence, which he later utilised as a councillor; indeed it is likely that I went before him as a solicitor on a number of occasions at Stafford and surrounding courts. Ken was sad that as a magistrate he was forced to retire at 70 (which has now been increased to 75) as no doubt his considerable experience was greatly missed.
“His first foray into politics was when he and his best friend Roger Kelly - another Lancastrian – joined Gnosall Parish Council along with a few other local residents. In 2003 both men joined with existing councillor Mike Smith and all three were elected onto Stafford Borough Council, representing the newly-formed ward of Gnosall and Woodseaves with a commitment to curb excessive council tax increases.
“Ken became one of the most respected chairmen of the planning committee, his magistrate’s training enabling sound judgements and his ability to guide the committee to appropriate decisions. He and Mike Smith strongly objected to some of the large developments in Gnosall but despite refusal they were granted on appeal.
“Ken then ensured there were no delays to the production of the Stafford Borough local plan, which until recently has protected our rural area from over-development. When Councillor Frank Finlay became Mayor Ken was invited to join the cabinet taking on Frank’s finance portfolio – he relished this portfolio and during his tenure the council tax increased by an average of one third of the rate of inflation.
“In 2014 he actually reduced council tax by 2 per cent, the only finance cabinet member to do so in the last 30 years. He strongly believed it was not right to tax people if budgets were balanced without the need to increase tax.
“Ken retired from the council in 2019 but many of his fellow councillors kept in touch and he would enjoy meeting up at The George and Dragon in Gnosall with us to catch up with council news. Ken will be greatly missed by us all and our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.”
At Tuesday’s full borough council meeting, elected members observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to their former colleague. Councillor Mark Winnington, one of Gnosall and Woodseaves’s current ward members, said: “He was a genuine man – he spent his life working in the coal industry above ground and when the coal industry met its demise he retired to spend time with his family.
“He was very well-known in his patch in Gnosall. Him and Ann spent many hours with organisations in the village and he dedicated a lot of his time to family and friends, myself being one of them.
“The next time I visit his favourite drinking hole, the George and Dragon, I will raise a glass. He has left his mark in Gnosall.”
Conservative opposition group leader Jeremy Pert said: “Ken was small of stature but a huge man. He was a man of very few words, but those words he gave you would be treasured.
“He absolutely knew his mind and it was an iron rod in terms of trying to get money out of him – it was nigh on impossible. In the days that he controlled the finance portfolio, you could always be sure that there was going to be fiscal prudence.
“He hardly ever got any flak for keeping council tax low, which was one of the prides he had every year. Ken was one of a sort and he will be deeply missed.”
Across the chamber, council leader Aidan Godfrey said: “I can see him sat on the front bench, saying whatever he was saying about the budget then calling me an idiot. We had some really good times together.
“We went to the CIPFA [Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy] quite a few times together when I was chair of scrutiny and he was a cabinet member. He was a very interesting man, he had some wonderful tales about the coal mining industry.
“I will miss him and I’m sure most people will as well.”
