Issue - meetings

Levelling up Fund - Margate Digital

Meeting: 17/06/2021 - Cabinet (Item 738)

738 Levelling up Fund - Margate Digital pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Report to follow.

Minutes:

Cabinet appreciated the opportunity made available to Thanet District by central government to be a Priority One area for the Levelling Up Fund. This was the second opportunity that Thanet has had to bid for the funding for MargateDigital. The proposals under this bid would provide a cutting edge, industry relevant training space, which aims to influence creative thinking and technology, inspire people and provide industry ready candidates. The centre aimed to deliver inward investment, raise aspirations, provide opportunities for retraining and support SME’s in the sector. EKC Group proposed to deliver more than 200 learners in the first year who would be primarily aged between 16 and 19 years.

 

This proposal was aligned with the Margate Town Deal which that was presented at the extraordinary cabinet meeting that took place on 8 July 2021, and will support the regeneration and repurposing of Margate High Street. Members were supportive of the bid and it had the full backing of the local Member of Parliament. Thanet had been lucky enough to have more than one opportunity to bid to this fund, with each of the two Parliamentary constituency areas in the district represented in the submitted bids.

 

Councillor Everitt spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1

 

Councillor Pugh proposed, Councillor Kup seconded and Cabinet agreed the following:

 

1.  To approve submission of a Levelling Up Bid to the 18 June, 2021 deadline;

 

2.  To delegate authority to Chief Executive and the Leader, for final sign-off of the Levelling up Bid;

 

3.  That the Council will not make a financial contribution in any form within the 10% financial contribution encouraged in the prospectus, and this will be contributed by EKC Group.