All Decisions

Following approval at Council of the accelerated affordable housing development programme, this report seeks the  approval to purchase 31 Section 106 units.

Cabinet agreed to:

1. The purchase of 31 new affordable homes, using the additional capital budget, approved by council at its meeting on 12 October 2023;

2. The letting of these homes in accordance with the council’s Allocations Policy, at an affordable rent as set out in the council’s Tenancy Strategy.

The Council has investigated what land it owns that can be used for mini-woodland creation, to absorb carbon emissions as part of its plan to aim to reach net zero by 2030.

Cabinet approved that Council land in the following locations is used for Mini-Woodland Tree Planting Schemes, subject to external funding being identified and secured:

1. Dane Valley Road (1.2 hectares);

2. Garlinge Recreation Ground (0.5 hectares);

3. Memorial Recreation Ground (0.4 hectares);

4. Northdown Park (0.8 hectares);

5. St Peter’s Recreation Ground (0.6 hectares);

6. Tivoli Park (0.5 hectares).

Thanet District Council has been awarded £674,740 in capital costs for Solar PV installation and variable speed filtration pumps for Ramsgate Leisure Centre. Cabinet was asked to approve the spend for the funding to enable the delivery of the scheme by the deadline.

Bob Porter, Director of Place introduced the report and made the following comments:

• These were proposals to install solar photovoltaic (PVs) solar panels on the Ramsgate Leisure Centre premises;
• The Panel was being asked to review the proposals, make comments and any appropriate recommendations for consideration by Cabinet;
• A budget of £674k had been set aside for the project. The Decarbonisation Surveyor had secured external funding for the project;
• £7,3k per month would be saved in electricity charges as result of PV installations and the project would also create 63 tonne carbon saving per year.

The Panel made comments and asked questions as follows:

• The Council should be insisting that upgrading and new buildings should have solar energy system installations;
• The Panel welcomed the anticipated savings from this proposal;
• Was the roof at the leisure centre robust enough?
• Had the Council looked into the possibility of inviting solar companies to partner to provide land for solar energy generation projects?
• Were there any plans being considered for similar projects for other swimming pools in the district?

Bob Porter, Andreea Plan, Head of Property and Chris Blundell, Director of Corporate Services and S151 Officer responded to questions and comments from the Panel as follows:

• The Council did not have enough scope to get into an arrangement for solar energy projects;
• The funding for swimming pools was oversubscribed and the Council could not get funding for other swimming pools;
• The Climate Change Officer post in the Transformation Service and Decarbonisation Officer in the Property team would assist with the implementation of the solar system installation projects;
• Sharing arrangements had been worked out and credit was given to Matt Sanham and his team for renewing and agreeing the new lease;
• Officers would take the proposal that the Council puts in a condition that all new buildings should have solar photovoltaic (PVs) installations to the officer group for the Local Plan Review.

Councillor Davis proposed, Councillor Austin seconded and the Panel recommended to Cabinet that consideration be given by the Cabinet that all new buildings in Thanet should have solar photovoltaics (PVs) installed on them as a planning condition where physically possible."

The Panel noted the report.

The current PSPO requires the schedule 1 map to be updated to the latest information.

To update the Schedule 1 Map to the latest information.

In June 2023 Cabinet approved the programme of spend for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Thanet, with funding allocated to a grant programme for Community, Voluntary and Social Enterprise Sector. In January 2024 the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Property approved the scoring matrix for the UK Shared Prosperity Small Grants and Development Grants, in order for a panel of officers to sift, review and approve external grants to the two programmes. 

Through an open process applications were sent to the council for the Small Grant programme and the Development Grants programme. The Grant Review Panel reviewed these and made a set of recommendations against the scoring criteria for approval of a number of grants. 

The following allocations have been made as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Grants Programme. 

The following grants have been awarded as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme:

Small Grants Programme

Development Grant - Stage 1

Development Grant - Stage 2 

With the EKJIRP at its meeting on 18 March 2024, not having made any amendments to the allowances scheme agreed at the Full Council meeting of the 22 February 2024 (attached at Annex 1) the S.151 Officer is exercising his delegated authority to finalise and agree the amended scheme. These changes will be backdated to 1 April 2024.