Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Kup.

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

To approve the summary of recommendations and decisions of the Cabinet meeting held on 28 July 2022, copy attached.

Councillor Ashbee proposed, Councillor David Saunders seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the meeting held on 28 July 2022.

Cabinet considered an updated net zero pledge from Thanet District Council which  included actions to address District wide emissions. The pledge included: making Thanet  District Council (TDC) net zero by 2030 in the core carbon footprint; addressing  emissions that TDC had partial control over by 2050 at the latest; supporting Kent County  Council, the Government, businesses, industries and the community to make Thanet net  zero as a whole by 2050. 

The strategy noted 12 priorities to address these emissions. Each of these 12 priorities  are described in the strategy, and is followed by immediate actions to 2024. This would  be externally audited, with the report being submitted to OSP and Cabinet annually. 

The following Members spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1: 

Councillor Austin; 

Councillor Whitehead; 

Councillor Yates. 

Councillor Bob Bayford proposed, Councillor Pugh seconded and Cabinet agreed the  following: 

1. That the Cabinet approves the proposed amended wording of the TDC pledge;

2. That the Cabinet approves the Net Zero Strategy 2022 for public engagement; 

3. That Cabinet notes the additional sentence included in the strategy following the receipt of feedback from OSP and CC CAG (see 2.17);

4. That the Cabinet recognises that the strategy cannot be fully implemented without  external funding being available and agreed, in accordance with the pledge, to  lobby external agencies and government. 

The Annual Treasury Management Review 2021-22 report summarized the backward  look on treasury management activities from 2021-2022. The figures in the report were  noted as subject to change due to the accounts having not yet been audited.

Capital expenditure had been significantly under budget, this would later be detailed in  the budget outturn. There had been a repayment of £4M of debt during the year, and  TDC undertook no new borrowing. The average debt which had been held by the council  during 2021-22 was £22M, this was within the authorized limit of £96M. By the end of the  financial year the value of TDC’s cash and investments stood at £51M. 

Councillor David Saunders proposed, Councillor Bob Bayford seconded and Members  agreed to recommend the Annual Treasury Management Review to Full Council. 

Ramsgate Football Club has occupied the site for over 70 years, providing services to the community, and specifically encouraging children to play sport. The property was occupied under the terms of a lease by the Football Club. Current rent to the council was minimal, at £1,500 per annum. 

The council commissioned an independent valuation of the premises. The current market value is £250,000. The preferred and recommended option was to dispose of the property via freehold transfer to the owners of Ramsgate FC at £265,000 with an overage provision of 50% on any uplift in value following a change of use, and a restriction on the use of the land, limiting it to uses as a football club and associated purposes only. 

Councillor Everitt spoke under Council Procedure 20.1. 

Councillor Pugh proposed, Councillor David Saunders seconded and Cabinet agreed the following: 

The preferred and recommended options is to dispose of the property via freehold  transfer to the owners of Ramsgate FC at £265,000 with an overage provision of 50% on  any uplift in value following a change of use, and a restriction on the use of the land,  limiting it to uses as a football club and associated purposes only. 

However, it will be expressly stated in the legal documentation that TDC will not give consent to the sale of the land for any other use or purposes within 5 years of the sale. 

Cabinet were asked to consider endorsing the housing delivery paper which was attached to this report through annex one. This asks central government for legislative and regulatory changes to better balance the delivery of new homes with the needs of the community, and for additional national resources to increase the delivery of new affordable homes. 

The report highlighted the mismatch between the type and affordability of new homes that have been built in the district and the needs of the community. Specifically, identifying flaws in the way in which housing numbers had been allocated across the country.  The report referenced data published by the council in 2020 through the Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and concluded that the cost of housing needs for affordable homes and pressures placed on homelessness services over the last two years have been significantly impacted through economic pressures. 

The report drew attention to the urgent need for the delivery of more affordable homes.  Urgent changes were needed to ensure better balances between the new homes which were to be built in the district and the needs of the community. It is the Cabinet's intention to lobby central government for urgent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, funding arrangements relating to affordable housing delivery and financial support for housing costs for those residents on low incomes. 

The following Members spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1: 

Councillor Whitehead; 

Councillor Albon; 

Councillor Garner; 

Councillor Austin; 

Councillor Everitt; 

Councillor Bailey. 

Councillor Jill Bayford proposed, Councillor Pugh seconded and Members agreed that Cabinet endorses the Housing Delivery Paper, and the specific asks of the Central Government for legislative and regulatory changes to better balance the delivery of new homes with the needs of the community and for additional national resources to increase the delivery of new affordable homes. 

The Theatre Royal project had been approved by central government, with funding due to arrive by the end of September 2022. The Theatre Royal Margate had an allocation of £2M from the Margate Town Deal Project in order to deliver much needed work. The funding would help to unlock other public and private match funding in order to develop a hub of performing arts in Margate. 

The following Members spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1: 

Councillor Whitehead; 

Councillor Yates. 

Councillor Pugh proposed, Councillor David Saunders seconded and Cabinet agreed the following: 

• Delegated authority was given to the Director of Regeneration in consultation with the Interim Director of Property to market the proposal for the Theatre Royal and 19 Hawley Square in order to identify an operator/commercial partner. 

·  Authority was provided to the Interim Director of Property and Interim Head of Legal and Monitoring Officer, in Consultation with the Portfolio Holder to negotiate the lease heads of terms and all other ancillary documents. 

·  The finalised lease heads of terms and relevant ancillary documents to be brought back to Cabinet for final approval. 

• Approval was provided to submit an application for a Development Phase Grant to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Authorising the Director of Regeneration to agree the final submission documents, based on approval from the S151 Officer. 

• Approval was provided to commission the urgent works to the Theatre Royal, as set-out in the surveys completed in 2021 funded from Historic England. 

The original lease which was dated 1999 was between Thanet Leisure Force and Thanet District Council. This covered various premises, which had gradually been surrendered back to TDC. 

The Winter Gardens lease had been taken back on the 12th August. Existing leases covered Northdown House, Hartsdown and Ramsgate Leisure Centre’s. 

There were to be separate leases both Hartsdown and Ramsgate Leisure Centres, with the head of terms including mutual break clauses. The head of terms had been influenced by four key factors: 

1) Financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic and future viability; 

2) The lack of local authority funding to provide the required operational subsidy; 

3) The ongoing and substantial maintenance, repair and refurbishment costs; 

4) The opportunity for TDC to utilise money from the Margate Town Deal fund. 

The following Members spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1: 

Councillor Whitehead; 

Councillor Garner. 

Councillor Pugh proposed, Councillor Jill Bayford seconded and Cabinet agreed the following: 

1. To agree to the surrender of the current lease in its totality, and regrant two new  independent leases for Hartsdown Leisure Centre and Ramsgate Leisure Centre;

2. To give delegated authority to the Interim Director of Property, to enter into the relevant Agreement(s) for new leases with Your Leisure on terms to be agreed; 

3. To give delegated authority to the Acting Director of Finance and Operations to negotiate the sharing agreement with Your Leisure for the wider provision of services provided through Your Leisure; 

4. To give delegated authority to the Acting Director of Finance and Operations to negotiate the service concession agreement with Your Leisure for the wider provision of Foreshore related activities; 

5. To give delegated authority to the Interim Head of Legal and Monitoring Officer to sign all documents necessary to give effect to the surrender and subsequent leases.

Report to Follow

The Winter Gardens had been a vital part of Margate, and was considered a valuable  asset to the Council and the community. The Winter Gardens has had a great deal of  interest, with communities being passionate about the future of the Winter Gardens. This  passion had also been presented to Cabinet through a petition, in which Full Council’s  referral of this petition was referred to. 

Revenue funding from central government through the Margate Town Deal is available to support the work needed to survey the Winter Gardens and to seek a commercial partner or operator. Information will be published online as it becomes available, to  keep residents informed of the updates. 

The following members spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1: 

Councillor Yates; 

Councillor Austin; 

Councillor Duckworth; 

Councillor Whitehead. 

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

1. It was noted that the Margate Winter Gardens was handed back to the Council on  14 August from Your Leisure Kent Ltd, and has subsequently temporarily  suspended operations. 

2. Cabinet noted that a Petition signed by over 2,000 signatories was submitted to  the Council requesting a Public Meeting, in order that the public can show their  support for the Winter Gardens and hear about the plans for the future. 

• It was recommended that once the Council had received further information, a  public meeting would be held. 

• It was recommended through the review of the night time economy that  engagement with Thanet’s communities be undertaken to understand how they  would use the Winter Gardens. 

3. Cabinet agreed the next steps in delivering the Margate Town Deal Winter Gardens project, including, but is not limited to: 

• Commissioning experts to complete a costed structural survey of the Winter  Gardens; 

• Commission a complete set of drawings for the site;

• Identify all legal requirements in relation to the Margate Winter Gardens; 

• Commission a team of multi disciplinary consultants to review the night time  economy in Margate and the Winter Gardens role in that - this will include  engagement with Thanet’s communities to understand the audience potential for  a venue. 

4. Cabinet gave delegated authority to the Interim Director of Property in  consultation with the Economic Development Portfolio Holder and the Director of  Regeneration to market the leisure opportunity at the Margate Winter Gardens, in  order to identify potential interest from operators and/or a commercial partner.