Agenda item

The Leader thanked Madeline Homer, Director of Community Services and staff for their support during the absence of the Chief Executive.

The Leader then updated Members on various matters, including: 

Thanet Regeneration Board, of which Mr Paul Barber of Discovery Park was now Chairman;  East Kent Regeneration Board:  A meeting had been cancelled “due to lack of substantial business”, but following representations by the Leader, “Manston Airport” was now on an agenda for a meeting later in July;  The Ageing Better Funding Bid, which had now entered into a new phase;  Children’s Society:  The Leader thanked Councillor Coleman-Cooke for his strong input.  The Society had plans to remove its funding for inter-generational work in the area and to hand over the garden. The Leader had made representations to retain some of the funding retained for projects in Cliftonville.  Hornby, who were moving to Hersden, with staff being TUPE’d over.  They had, however, committed to keep a museum/ shop in a town in Thanet for tourism purposes;Turner Contemporary, which continued to deliver positive outcomes and have international coverage;   Theatre Royal:  A meeting had taken place with interested members of the public.  The contract with Your Leisure had been extended for a further year.Vattenfell:  £92K funding originally earmarked for Pegwell was now available for use in towns and villages.  A paper would go to Cabinet in September 2014, and the Leader would be meeting with the three towns’ representatives;   Visit Kent:  INTERREG funding would be available through SEaCams;  Discovery Park:  The “take up” was now at 87 businesses;  Broadstairs Folk Week:  A useful planning meeting had taken place, involving Members, organisers and Police;  Kent and Medway Economic Partnership:  LEP,  funding for a Parking Station and the Enterprise Zone would be discussed at the meeting on 14 July.  East Kent College, which had recently opened a new solar / science facility;  Informal cabinet meetings now took place every Friday andGroup Leaders’ meetings, on a monthly basis.

As Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor Bayford welcomed news of funding for Parkway Station, which, he believed, would be of immense benefit to the area.  He also welcomed East Kent College’s achievement in becoming a Centre of Excellence and the good news stories around the Turner Contemporary and Discovery Park. 

He expressed regret at the loss of Hornby.

On behalf of other Members in his Group, Councillor Bayford raised two other issues in relation to the Leader’s report:

1.  It was understood that the original Vattenfell funding had been £100,000, to be used for a “green project” in the Pegwell area.  What had happened to the remaining £8,000 and how did the change of use in towns come about?

2.  When was the Your Leisure contract due to end, and how was it envisaged that Theatre Royal would be run following termination?

The Leader responded by stating that the £8,000 of Vatenfell funding referred to by Councillor Bayford had probably been spent on investigating how to proceed with the project for Pegwell.  Vatenfell was, however, happy for the £92,000 to be used on something of tangible benefit in the district. 

The Leader, although not sure when the contract with Theatre Royal actually expired, reported that it had been extended for another year.

Councillor King, as Leader of the Independent Group, in referring to Hornby’s promise to retain a museum / shop in one of the towns, enquired what the Leader had in mind with a view to promoting tourism.

The Leader replied that the museum and shop would remain where it was for a while longer than originally anticipated but that alternative premises would be sought in the meantime.

Councillor Cohen, Leader of the Thanet Independent Group expressed concerns about the future of intergenerational work owing to the financial situation.

The Leader explained that the Children’s Society was planning to move their work to London; however she had had the opportunity to outline to them some of the serious issues of concern within Thanet.  She referred to the benefits of inter-generational work in the district.

Councillor Wiltshire, Leader of the UKIP Group, commended the Leader on a busy diary.