All Decisions

The remaining funding within the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme is allocated to the below scheme ahead of the closure of the programme.

Approve the following contingency allocation within the Ramsgate Pathfinder Projects:

Newington - £210,000 contingency to the budget

Broad Street £320,000 increase to the original budget

Programme wide - hold £100,000 contingency

Green Campus - £457,111 increase to the original budget

This matter concerns the Council’s response to the Government’s request that the council work together with other council’s in Kent to submit proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Kent by the 21 March 2025.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.   To approve in principle the proposed general submission on behalf of the Kent Councils for Local Government Reorganisation set out at Appendix 2 of the Cabinet report, and delegates authority to the Leader to agree any final amendments before submission on 21 March;

2.   To note the detailed additional submission related to possible geographical models for new Unitary Councils set out at Appendix 3 of the Cabinet report, as it is currently drafted, and agree, for the reasons set out in this report, that at this stage the Council should not be associated with this additional submission;

3.   To note that the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive have, in accordance with their powers, sought to progress negotiations and develop the attached plan for LGR in the interests of the District;

4.   That the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive continue to progress negotiations and the development of plans in order to be in a position to submit more detailed plans for LGR in accordance with the guidance set out in the letter referred to above from the Minister.

The decision confirms the policy and procedures for the water user group/barriers users, to ensure controls are in place with regard to authorised access to the water via Thanet coasts barriers and slipways.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  To approve the Water User Group/Barriers Users Policy and Procedure for 2025.

In December 2024, Thanet District Council received notification from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has been extended for a final year - April 2025 to March 2026. The aim of the UKSPF extension year is to provide a smooth transition from the existing UKSPF programme to a new, future funding framework, yet to be announced.

Thanet has been awarded £546,557 of funding to deliver projects within the priorities of Community and Place; Support for Business; and People and Skills, with Thanet District Council being the lead authority for the programme.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  To note that the capital programme will need to be amended to include the capital element of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund - a minimum of £69,671. This will be taken to Council at a later date for formal approval;

2.  To approve the delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Programme on the basis that it exceeds the council key decision threshold of £250,000;

3.  To delegate authority to the Head of Regeneration and Growth to deliver the UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025-2026, as detailed in the programme outline in Appendix 2 (to the Cabinet report) with flexibility to move allocations between themes if required.

Cabinet considered a report which provided an update on the progress made by the Council in marketing the Winter Gardens in Margate. The report recommended a preferred commercial partner to lease, refurbish and reopen the venue.

The proposals set out in the report aimed to secure the long-term future of the Winter Gardens as a multi-use leisure and entertainment venue.

The report recommended that the Council commit to the project to refurbish and reopen the Winter Gardens, in partnership with Westwood One Theatre, and support the work to complete the necessary next steps.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.   That Westwood One Theatre is the preferred partner organisation to refurbish and reopen the Winter Gardens in Margate;

2.   To note the summary of the independent evaluation set out in section 4 of the Cabinet report;

3.   To note the mitigation proposed by officers in relation to issues identified in the independent evaluation;

4.   That officers can commit to working with Westwood One Theatre to progress the project and complete next steps set out in 4.6 (to the Cabinet report);

5.   To pay a grant to Westwood One Theatre to support the cost of the work set out in para 4.6 (to the Cabinet report) up to a maximum of £80k;

6.   To note that the grant referred to at Recommendation 5 above can be paid from the existing revenue budget allocated to the Winter Gardens;

7.   To delegate authority to the Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property to enter into a lease for 999 years with Westwood One for the Winter gardens, based on the draft Heads of Terms attached at annex 1 and subject to the conditions set out in 4.8 (to the Cabinet report) being met;

8.   To delegate authority to the Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property to enter into a grant agreement for £4m to support the cost of the refurbishment of the Winter Gardens, based on the template agreement attached at annex 2 and subject to the conditions set out in para 4.8 (to the Cabinet report) being met.

The report sought to reconfigure 38-40 Grosvenor Place, Margate, a property in Thanet District Council’s General Fund. This will (subject to planning permission) transform an empty premises into 11 x 1-bed properties for temporary accommodation (TA) as well as providing a permanent base for the RISE service, which would move from Edgar Road in Cliftonville. The new RISE accommodation provided at 38-40 Grosvenor Place will include sleeping accommodation for up to 8 people. The anticipated cost of the conversion and refurbishment is £2.87m.

Cabinet agreed:

1.   That the Council approves the project to refurbish and reconfigure Grosvenor Place, at an estimated cost of £2.88m as outlined in this report;

2.   The letting of these homes will be in accordance with the Council’s Temporary Accommodation Policy, approved by Cabinet in July 2024;

3.   To note that the intention is to complete the project in two phases, with two separate planning applications.

To procure a repairs and maintenance contract for CCTV to cover all of Thanet District Councils current and future CCTV cameras and systems including for the installation of new items relating to CCTV and other technologies including but not limited to cameras, infrastructure, software, hardware and control room expansion.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  For the Authority to use Crown Commercial Service Framework, Network Services 3 RM6116, Lot 3a: IoT and Smart Cities (Smart shared and connected spaces) to procure a repairs and maintenance contract with British Telecommunications Public Limited Company;

2.  To allow the procurement and award of a contract (under the above framework), to implement a repairs and maintenance contract, installation of new items relating to CCTV and other technologies including but not limited to cameras, infrastructure, software, hardware and control room expansion;

3.  To update current additional CCTV equipment for the efficient running of CCTV;

4.  The necessary supplementary budget amendments, as set out within the Financial Implications sections, be recommended to Council for approval.

The decision confirms a planned purchase of vehicles and equipment for the Open Spaces Service to the value of £1,277,850. The purchases can be funded from the Open Spaces Service allocation within the Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Programme capital budget.

Cabinet approved the following:

1.  The purchase of the vehicles and equipment listed in 3.1 of the Cabinet report at a cost of £1,277,850, funded from the Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Programme.

The S.151 Officer is exercising his delegated authority from the Council Meeting of the 27 February 2025 to finalise and agree the Councillors Allowances scheme, now that the staff pay award has been finalised at 3%. The Councillors Allowances scheme being indexed linked to that of the staff pay award.