Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Cecil Street, Margate, Kent. View directions

Contact: Charles Hungwe 

Link: This meeting will be livestreamed

Media

Items
No. Item

74.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from the following Members:

 

Councillor Farooki;

Councillor Paul Moore;

Councillor Currie, substituted by Councillor Boyd;

Councillor Davis, substituted by Councillor Pugh.

 

 

 

75.

Declaration of Interests pdf icon PDF 87 KB

To receive any declarations of interest. Members are advised to consider the advice contained within the Declaration of Interest advice attached to this Agenda. If a Member declares an interest, they should complete the Declaration of Interest Form

Minutes:

There were no declarations made at the meeting.

76.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To approve the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 10 December 2024, copy attached.

Minutes:

Councillor Kup proposed, Councillor Britcher seconded and the Panel agreed the minutes to be a correct record of the meeting held on 10 December 2024.

77.

Review the Overview & Scrutiny Panel Work Programme for 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 140 KB

  • View the background to item 77.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive had confirmed that there would be a presentation on the potential  benefits and challenges to TDC of contemporary business practices such as hot desking,  working from home, customer relationship management, and artificial intelligence” at the  Panel meeting scheduled for 11 March 2025. 

 

Councillor Yates was scheduled to present on the budget in February. 

 

The Youth Services Working Party had met earlier in the month. Councillor Bright  provided an update on the meeting and surveys, noting that over 230 responses had  been received from young people across Thanet. A survey for youth workers was still  pending, and another survey for councillors and officers was also being processed. The working party hoped to meet again in a  couple of weeks to review the data. It was noted that the report would not be ready for  February, and an extension until March was requested and granted. 

 

There were no questions or comments from members regarding the work programme. 

 

The report was noted. 

78.

Public Toilets refurbishment and renewal project - phase 3 pdf icon PDF 128 KB

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Additional documents:

Minutes:

Tony Marmo, Head of Coastal and Public Realm, gave an update on the public toilets  refurbishment and renewal project, making the following key points:

 

  The potential programme of work for Phase 3 of the public toilet refurbishments  was discussed, with a total of £400,000 allocated as part of the 2025/26 budget. 

  All revenue works had been completed at a lower cost than anticipated, with  £186,000 of the allocated funds remaining. 

  These unspent funds would be directed to the Minnis Bay and Subterranean public toilets in Broadstairs. 

  A further £971,000 of capital funding had been allocated towards new build  toilets at Margate Main Sands and Stone Bay. 

  The final element of the project, Phase 3, would involve repairs to the remaining  public toilets, with locations listed in Annex 1 of the report to the OSP meeting.

  A detailed plan for each location was outlined, with £275,000 allocated for the works, £20,000 for professional fees, £50,000 for deep cleaning, and £10,000 for  contingency, due to the number of toilets planned for refurbishment.

 

Councillors commented and asked the following questions: 

 

  Progress was welcomed, and congratulations were given to the officers and the  cabinet member involved. 

  A question was raised about the Botany Bay toilets, asking if it was confirmed  that a seasonal building would be placed at the other end of Botany Bay, which  would entail a properly plumbed toilet with an electric connection. 

  The progress on the Western Undercliff toilets were questioned. These had been  added to the list of toilets needing work after the cabinet had been pushed to  address them. 

  Would the refurbishments would make all  toilets disability-friendly? 

  Questioning was asked about the Phase 1 budget, asking why phase 1 stood at £93,000, which was under budget. 

 

Tony Marmo responded with the following key points:

 

  There might be issues for the upcoming season in terms of Botany Bay, possibly  resulting in a portable toilets being used instead. 

  There was no update on the build works for Western Undercliff, but they were in  discussions with RTC regarding the need for portable toilets this year.

  Officers explained that the project had considered disability access, especially at  Stone Bay and Margate. Planning permission was required for these changes,  and external works, including rendering, would be carried out as part of the  project. 

  Regarding the disabled toilet at Broadstairs Bandstand, officers confirmed it was  included in the repairs, with the works planned for completion by June. If delays  occurred, the timeline would be revised, and the issue would be brought to CMT  for further discussion. 

  Officers clarified that the underspending in phase 1 was due to lower-than expected costs for the works, which had been priced more cheaply than  anticipated without compromising quality. 

  Main toilets with the highest footfalls remained open as long as possible.  However, due to increased anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the later hours,  as well as higher staffing costs, had made  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

79.

Purchase of 12 Section 106 homes from Guildcrest, Haine Road pdf icon PDF 220 KB

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Report to follow

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Ashley Jackson, Head of Housing and Planning, gave an update on the purchase of 12  Section 106 homes from Guildcrest, Haine Road, making the following key points: 

 

  There was a requirement for 400 new homes to be constructed or allocated by  2027, with officers collaborating with Guildcrest on this matter. 

  A proposal for 12 section 106 units at Haine Road was highlighted, consisting of  8 two-bedroom units and 4 one-bedroom flats, with a total value of £2.28 million.

  The need for additional homes was emphasized in light of the new allocations  policy. 

 

Councillors commented and asked the following questions: 

 

  There was mention of the potential impacts on business rates and the need to  review borrowing, with particular attention to the possibility of extending the  borrowing period to year 13 instead of year 12 due to interest rate considerations. 

 

Councillors noted the report.

80.

Council Tax Base Calculation 2025-26 pdf icon PDF 211 KB

  • View the background to item 80.

Report to follow

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Matt Sanham, Head of Finance and Procurement, introduce the report on Council Tax  Base Calculation 2025-26, making the following key points: 

 

  It was confirmed that the empty homes discount would remain at 0%, and the  approval of the district council tax base. 

  It was noted that the estimated relief fund was currently at £69k, with a review of  this arrangement scheduled for 2025/26. 

  The council tax reduction scheme was also addressed, with KCC funding  remaining in place, and the annual allocation discussed. Budget pressures from  KCC were highlighted, presenting challenges for all districts in Kent. 

  Without additional funding, the natural conclusion would be that costs need to be  reduced, though this remains difficult as the required work would still need to be  carried out with fewer staff. 

 

Councillors commented and asked the following questions: 

 

  The issue of second properties was raised, specifically questioning how the  location of a resident affects their voting eligibility and what defines a second  home. 

  There was questioning around whether empty properties are subject to an  additional levy, and how councillors can access information on these properties.  • There was some discussion about whether Airbnbs were considered second  properties. 

 

Matt Sanham responded with the following points: 

 

  The criteria for second homes were discussed, with reference to residential  dwellings and the need to cross-reference information. It was clarified that the  second property is defined as one that is not the registered address of the  resident. 

  It was confirmed that the data could not be shared due to GDPR issues, but the  council tax team and empty property officers had the necessary information. The  importance of tighter communication around paying properties or bringing them  back into use was emphasized

  It was clarified that the use of Airbnbs was dependent on whether the property  was being treated as a business or as a residential dwelling. 

 

Councillors noted the report. 

81.

Forward Plan and Exempt Cabinet Reports List pdf icon PDF 74 KB

  • View the background to item 81.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillors noted the report.