Agenda item

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.4.

The Leaders report had been circulated to Members and published on the Council’s website before the meeting. The report has been attached as an annex to these minutes.

Councillor Ashbee as Leader of the Conservative Party made the following points:

·  She thanked Members for their congratulations and welcome into her new role as Leader of the Conservative group.

·  She wished to thank the housing officers for their hard work during the transition of the service in house, and hoped the benefits to residents would soon become obvious.

·  She appreciated the sentiment that the Council remained open to external advice on how to improve.

The Leader replied to Councillor Ashbee’s comments with the following points:

·  Congratulations were offered to Councillor Ashbee and the Leader looked forward to working with her.  He believed that he had a good working relationship with all the group leaders, and highlighted that they were all working for the benefit of the residents.

·  The Leader reiterated his thanks to the Housing team and noted that Councillor Whitehead also deserved recognition for her efforts.

Councillor Reverend Piper as leader of the Thanet Independents Party made the following points:

·  It was the right decision not to undertake a peer review that would have caused additional uncertainty for the Council.

·  The Council continued to get things done despite the Covid pandemic, it was good to see some positive social media comments.

·  The District would cope with Brexit and further delays to the reopening of the airport.

·  Congratulations were offered to Councillor Ashbee.

The Leader replied to Councillor Reverend Piper’s comments with the following points:

·  The peer review decision was made collectively and was an example of how well the Council worked together.  This would need to continue in the face of the Covid resurgence.

·  There was a need to understand how London’s allocation to tier two could impact the District.

Councillor Garner as Leader the Green Party made the following points:

·  He wished to offer his thanks to staff for their work at this time.

·  He believed that a peer review in the new year would be beneficial to the Council.

·  He shared concern about the potential for pollution as a result of the Manston Airport proposals.

·  Levels of pollution were an issue of growing concern across the District.

·  It was highlighted by residents that there needed to be more clarity regarding plans at the Port of Ramsgate, it should be easier for residents to engage with the Council.

·  Housing should be high on the Council’s agenda, and he hoped to be involved in this in future.  Congratulations were offered to Councillor Whitehead and others involved in bringing the Council’s housing stock back under Council control.  There was a need for more social housing in the District.

·  He was pleased that the Council had supported the Thanet Community Land Trust, and hoped that support would continue.

·  All new buildings should support environmental enhancements, residents felt strongly about this and the enhancement of biodiversity should be at the forefront of all the Council’s decisions.

The Leader replied to Councillor Garner’s comments noting that:

·  There was concern about potential impact that an additional 4000 lorries would have on the District.  The Council would ensure that  Central Government was aware of these views.

·  With regard to berths four and five at the Port, the Council would be following the proper planning process.  This would be the same process that would be carried out anywhere in the Country.

·  Councillor Garner was thanked for his comments.