All Decisions

The automatic number plate recognition system at Trinity Square car park has been subject to various acts of vandalism and system failures which have resulted in reduced accessibility to the public. The system is not currently fit for purpose.

Agreed to revert the Trinity Square Car Park back to a pay and display car park.

Cabinet considered a report recommending that activity to market the Winter Gardens to a suitable partner organisation begins, in line with the decision taken on 22 September 2022. The report set out the headlines of the brief for the appointment of a specialist agent to support the marketing. This report recommended that a further report be presented to Cabinet once marketing has been completed, setting out the detailed recommendations for the disposal of the building by means of a long-term lease or sale.

Cabinet agreed that:

1. A specialist marketing agency is appointed, as set out in section 4 to the report;

2. The Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet member for Economic Development, approves the marketing particulars for the Winter Gardens and the evaluation matrix to be used to assess operator and/or JV submissions;

3. A further report be considered by Cabinet following the completion of the marketing and evaluation exercise, setting out detailed proposals.

A report was presented to Cabinet proposing  the purchase and conversion of a large  property in Edgar Road, Cliftonville.

The property is four houses, currently configured as a single property, consisting of rooms with en-suite bathrooms with shared lounges and kitchens. The property has been valued and the owner has indicated acceptance of an offer within the valuation figure, subject to contract.

There is sufficient funding within the council’s approved Live Margate programme to support the purchase. The property will be redeveloped within the HRA for Affordable Housing as self-contained family homes.

Cabinet agreed:

1.  To approved Live Margate programme;

2.  To design a scheme to convert the building into self-contained 2 bedroom flats, progress a planning application and appoint a suitable design team to progress the conversion;

3.  To consider a further report once the detailed conversion costs are known, so that the necessary funding can be included within the HRA capital programme and a contractor appointed.

The Council received a payment of £100k from Southern Water in recognition of water quality issues experienced in the district. A number of schemes have been developed for investment in coastal assets across the district.

The following allocations have been agreed:

• Ramsgate Lift Restoration - £50k;
• Broadstairs disabled beach access - £25k;
• Promenade shelter roof repairs - £10k;
• Repairs to the Minnis Bay coastal tidal pool - £14.5k;
• Iron gate for Margate Clock Tower - £0.5k.

Since its inception in 2018 we have been running a commercial waste service with the intention of providing local businesses with a fairly priced and flexible service. The original decision was predicated on introducing a new service, whilst using existing resources and generating surplus income to help support the budgets within Waste & Recycling.

The service is currently being subsidised by waste and recycling resources and the national HGV driver shortage has had a significant impact. There has been a 2 week suspension of garden waste that impacted some 12,500 residents as well as difficulty in fulfilling our missed collection recall commitment.

Cabinet agreed that:

As per Option 1 at 4.1 in the cabinet report to cease offering the service from 31 May 2023 and provide two months notice to customers as per the terms and conditions, discontinue the Commercial Waste Service and charge customers at the 2022/23 rate until such time as the service is withdrawn.

The aim of the Future High Street Fund was to renew and reshape high streets with the inclusion of other uses to drive increases in footfall. Through a lengthy application process Thanet District Council was awarded funding from the Fund to deliver a creative workspace scheme. Unfortunately, due to changing circumstances, the building originally identified to deliver the workspace project in, has been leased to a private business, and with further assets either having been sold, or leased to a third party, or in relation to a previous decision on the 13 October, 2023, the landlord has become unresponsive.

The Council also has the opportunity to include the Levelling Up Programme Funding for the Access to Opportunities in the town centre project as part of this delivery. This allows for greater value to be added to both the Future High Street Fund project and the Levelling Up Fund project.

Cabinet agreed:

1.  To Authorise the Director of Regeneration to include the Levelling Up Fund monies for the ‘Access to Opportunities’ (town centre) project to be included within the Future High Street Fund project for delivery. The funding allocated is approximately £250,000;

2.  To give delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration, in consultation with the Interim Director of Property, to complete negotiations for the purchase of a town centre property within the approximately £1.31m externally funded budget. The funding allocated will need to deliver the purchase of the asset, and refurbishment in order to meet the outputs of the Future High Street Fund and the Levelling Up Fund project.

The following principle changes and clarifications have been made to the Water Users Group terms for the 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 period:

Insurance

• The minimum value of public liability insurance required to be held by Water User Group Members has been increased from £2m to £5m.

Water Craft Proficiency

• PWC users are required to hold RYA Personal Watercraft Proficiency (12 to 17 year olds must only use the power watercraft under the supervision of a responsible and qualified adult)
• Powerboat users are required to hold a minimum of RYA Powerboat Level 2 (minimum age 12 years old)

Launch Sites

• The Eastern Undercliff (Winterstoke slipway) in Ramsgate has been retained as the only TDC managed launching site for Personal Water Craft (PWC) including jet skis, jet bikes/wet bikes. Plans have been made to install improved signage and additional marker buoys at the Eastern Undercliff site and other locations around the coastline to better define zones for swimmers