Agenda item

Suspension of Council Procedure Rule

On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by the Vice-Chairman, it was RESOLVED that Council Procedure Rule 2.2 be suspended for this meeting in so far as it limits the total time taken for the Leader’s Report to 31 minutes.

In his report, the Leader of Council provided updates on the following issues:

1.  The Royal Victoria Pavilion: 

a)  Rank had reported that, owing to limitations of the current lease, none of the regularly received expressions of interest in the site from community groups and individuals could be progressed;

b)  The Council’s Property Manager was leading on property negotiations;

c)  The Council had two options:  either retain the current lease, precluding community use; or grant a new lease (a back to back surrender), by which the council might enable community use.

2.  Dreamland: 

a)  Dreamland car park had now re-opened, following closure by the owner as a result of an urgent works notice being served over the security of the menagerie cages.

b)  Although permission had been granted for the CPO to be appealed, the Council hoped to be on site by the start of October 2013.

3.  Arlington:

a)  The Secretary of State had now granted:

§  Detailed planning permission for the development of a superstore and associated parking and services on land at Arlington Square as well as for the external refurbishment of Arlington House.  If and when Freshwaters applied to the Council for consents to enable the development to proceed, it would be the responsibility of Cabinet to take the necessary decisions.

§  Outline planning permission for the development of retail units on the ground floor of Arlington Square with a 60-bed hotel above. This permission would be ineffective until the Council, as planning authority, was able to approve the reserved matters.

b)  There were currently two legal challenges to the decision of the Secretary of State to grant planning permission.  It was expected that both appeals would be heard in December 2013. 

4.  Transeuropa:

a)  The Council had not stepped outside of its legal framework. The debt had been accounted for in accordance with the Council’s rules and with the knowledge and support of the Council’s external auditors.

b)  Decisions in relation to the debt had been covered by commercial confidentiality.  To have released information could have resulted in Transeuropa’s immediate failure, leaving the Council no better off than at the present time, leaving  the Port without a ferry service and resulting in job losses much sooner.

c)  At no stage had the Council waived payments by Transeuropa.

d)  Decisions had been taken to protect the wider and longer-term interests of the Port, Ramsgate and Thanet.

e)  The debt had been due to be repaid in full by the end of 2014/15 and Transeuropa had been in negotiations with a financial investor and taking other actions.

f)  The Council had now lodged the remaining debt with the administrators and every step was being taken to secure repayment.  Information in relation to this remained commercially sensitive.

g)  Action was being taken to secure a viable future for the Port and the Council was actively marketing the Port to attract a future ferry operator as well as other income generating opportunities.

5.  Royal Sands (Pleasurama)

a)  Cabinet considered that, owing to the continuing lack of progress, matters had now entered a new phase and was seeking the development of robust action to resolve the issues at the site.

b)  A Scrutiny Task and Finish Group had been set up, with Cabinet’s full support, to assess future options for the site and report back to Cabinet. 

c)  If work on legal and financial issues clearly demonstrated a route forward, Cabinet would be willing to act to try and bring this long running issue to a resolution.

6.  Former Thanet District Councillor and Cabinet Member, Dennis Hart

Despite battling serious health problems for some time, the Leader was pleased to announce that his brother, Dennis Hart, had recently been able to go home.

Councillor Bayford, as Leader of the Conservative Group, asked for his best wishes to be sent to Dennis Hart.

He enquired as to how Ramsgate Port was being actively marketed and commented that significant good-news stories, such as the recent official opening by the Prime Minister of the Offshore Wind Farm, and the Job Fair promoting 700 job vacancies, had been left out of the Leader’s Report. 

The Leader responded by saying that he had been at an LGA Conference when the events referred to had taken place.

Councillor King, as Leader of the Independent Group, expressed disappointment at the lack of information given by the Leader in his 24-hour notice of topics to be covered in his report.

The Leader stated that he had been working on his report until shortly before this meeting.

Councillor Cohen, as new Leader of the Thanet Independent Group, echoed the Leader’s sentiments that the Council had acted with good intent and integrity to keep the Transeuropa ferry operating.

Both Councillor Cohen and Councillor Wiltshire, as Leader of the UKIP Political Group, sent their good wishes to Dennis Hart.

The Leader thanked the Councillors for their good wishes for his brother.