Agenda item

Ms Austin asked the Leader the following question:

“As Council budgets tighten, external funding and investment become increasingly important. What strategies is TDC adopting to maximise environmental & social investment from developers, monitor and access grant funding opportunities, and nurture mutually supportive partnerships with community groups who can often access specific funding streams that will benefit our communities?”

The Leader responded with the following points:

• It was a challenge to continue to provide services and retain aspiration to pursue opportunities for residents when budgets were repeatedly reduced.  Completion of the annual survey by residents helped the Council prioritise the services provided.
• The question could be answered in three sections:

Developer contributions:

·  The Local Plan set out the strategic approach regarding contributions from building developers.

·  The Council had succeeded in achieving the following:

·  Affordable Housing - £49,000 (Section 106) Contributions utilised to bring forward homes for affordable housing.

·  Retort House/Pierremont Hall - £600,000  (Section 106) Grant awarded to Broadstairs and St Peter’s Council to bring forward Pierremont and Retort House refurbishment.

·  Broadstairs Playground Refurbishment - £136,000 (Section 106) Improvements to a number of playgrounds within Broadstairs.

·  The major road network bid with Kent County Council - £49,000,000.

·  Homes England grant funding for new build phases 1-3 - £860,000.

·  Local Growth Fund - £666,000 (SELEP) Monies utilised on the renovation of two properties within the intervention area.

·  Grant funded programmes for tackling rogue landlords and cold homes, and employment of a Home Energy Officer to advise residents about available grant funding.

·  The largest Disabled Facilities Grant programme in Kent around £3,000,000 annually.

·  RISE funding, - £1.350,000 for 2020/21. A range of initiatives for homeless people. It has been a co-design process involving TDC, MHCLG, the local voluntary sector and community groups.

Key Grant funded projects 2018/19 to 2020/21

·  Ramsgate Flood and Coast Protection Scheme - £900,000 (Environment Agency).

·  Dalby Square Town Heritage Initiative Scheme - £1.900,000 (Heritage Lottery Fund).

·  Affordable Homes Programme - £1.378,000 (Homes England).

·  Thanet Community Forest - £527,000 (Forestry Commission).

·  Epple Bay Sea Wall - £324,000 (Environment Agency).

·  Margate Town Deal Fund - £162,000 initially (MHCLG).

·  Margate Town Deal Fund- £29,000,000 bid submitted.

·  Margate Town Deal Fund - Refurbishment 51-57 High Street - £750,000 (MHCLG).

·  Future High Street Fund offer of £2.700,000.

·  Heritage Action Zone - a five year joint programme working with Historic England and key community groups, to engage with communities and groups interested in Ramsgate Heritage, and identify how best heritage assets could support the economy.

·  High Street Heritage Action Zone – to finalise the agreement with Historic England around Harbour Street and a programme of cultural engagement to animate the high street.

·  Dreamland - £18,000,000 worth of public investment including £5,000,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

·  Thanet Parkway Station – substantial Local Enterprise Partnership  funding. 

Community Groups

·  Ellington Park - £1.643,000 (Heritage Lottery Fund)A new community café and toilets, playground, works to conserve the Victorian terrace, new signage, and critical repairs to the pathways. 

·  Other Community projects

·  Recent work with Rise Up Clean Up on a project to tackle litter on the beaches. This could be expanded to other beaches around the District.

·  The Council was looking to work more closely with coastal businesses this summer, to support them, but also have their assistance in spreading messages to our coastal visitors.

·  The Climate Change Officer was looking to access external grant funding to help achieve our targets, and deliver the climate action plan.  A number of funding bids have been submitted already.

·  The Open Spaces team and Climate Change Officer were working with local communities and groups on projects that would improve our tree canopy cover and biodiversity across the District. 

·  Over the years the Council has worked with a number of community groups to try to find solutions to ongoing problems related to waste, recycling and other public realm issues. The team works with developers to try to ensure that these common problems are designed out in the future.

·  The Council has worked with a variety of community groups across the District to support beach clean/litter picking activities by providing equipment and health and safety advice. 

·  The Council was exploring the possibility of delivering chargeable AQA accredited training courses for a variety of environmental issues to support local projects.