To make a Cabinet Member presentation on the ‘key objectives for the Regeneration and Enterprise Services Portfolio regarding Regeneration in Thanet District.
Minutes:
Councillor Stummer–Schmertzing, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Enterprise Services introduced Christine Doel, Director of SQW who then led the presentation on ‘Towards an economic development strategy for Thanet.’ Christine Doel said that her team was working with council officers on a proposed Economic Development Strategy for the district. Discussions had been conducted with the local business community. There was a need for the council to look outside the district and identify any initiatives that Thanet could be a part of.
Ms Doel said that there had been some notable successes in terms of inward investment into the area and that Thanet offered a high quality environment and could be an attractive investment destination. However there were a number of challenges that the district faced in bringing economic development to the area. This called for clarity of vision.
Abigail Raymond, Head of Built Environment said that the work being carried out by the SQW, consultants would be incorporated into the new Economic Development Strategy for the district which in turn would form part of the evidence base for the emerging Local Plan.
Councillor Stummer-Schmertzing gave responses to questions that had been forwarded to him ahead of the Panel meeting. These included the following comments:
1. Inward investment and job creation were key corporate objectives for the council;
2. The adoption of the Local Plan and a new economic strategy for the district were also key;
3. The Stone Hill Park development is an opportunity for development in the district and depends on the final plan that Stone Hill come up with;
4. The council did and would continue to support businesses that decided to invest in the district (including providing one to one support to relocate) to deliver new employment floor space in the district and to deliver 5,000 jobs;
5. The council was working with other partners like KCC to ensure investment was made in key infrastructure like the Thanet Parkway. TDC were working with East Kent Spatial Development Company and East Kent Opportunities to deliver new employment floor space at Manston Park;
6. Future plans for the Ramsgate Port & Harbour would be discussed through a separate member briefing session;
7. Manston would be covered by the Local Plan; Councillor L. Fairbrass added that a Development Consent Order (DCO) was ongoing and a viability test was underway to determine the viability or non-viability of Manston Airport; so that the allocation of the Manston site within the plan could be informed by this evidence;
8. There was closer working between the Council and businesses in Thanet; The Economic Development Team was reviewing short term support such as key account management for key businesses and closer working with local Chamber of Commerce;
9. Council persuaded Vattenfall to move its offices to Ramsgate; Weatherspoons were also refurbishing their The Royal Pavillion in Ramsgate;
10. The agreement for the Royal Sands project was not with Cardy Construction but with Cardy Ramsgate.
One Member suggested that the Council ought to recover the lost businesses to the district as a result of some blue chip companies and the passenger ferry that no longer trade from Thanet. They said that Council should actively make this issue a key part of the new vision for the district.
Other Members said that the district needed to attract high skilled jobs that would provide an attractive career progression to the local youth so they could work in Thanet. They also said that the district should attract high flyers (including those that worked in London) to live in the district as they would spend their income in the local economy.
Members noted the presentation and thanked Councillor Stummer-Schmertzing.