All Decisions

Thanet has the opportunity to bid into the Government’s Levelling Up Fund as it is a Priority One area and will complement other opportunities that are available to Thanet, including the Future High Street Fund,  Margate Town Deal and Heritage Action Zones. This funding opportunity will support the delivery of regeneration projects in Ramsgate, which will undoubtedly support the whole district's economic recovery and levelling up of its communities.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  To approve submission of a Levelling Up Bid to the 18 June 2021 deadline;

2.  To delegate authority to Chief Executive and the Leader of Council for final sign-off of the Levelling up Bid;

3.  That the Council will not make a financial contribution in any form within the 10% financial contribution encouraged in the prospectus.

Retrospective Cabinet approval is required for legal costs of approximately £247,000 incurred to date associated with on-going disciplinary and grievance proceedings. Cabinet members are also asked to approve resources to facilitate the current plan for these proceedings, as future costs are estimated in the region of £450,000 to £486,000.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  To approve the expenditure relating to these matters, in accordance with Rule 4 of the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules;

2.  That a one-off 2020-21 supplementary General Fund revenue budget of £247,000 be retrospectively approved for external legal costs already incurred in relation to on-going disciplinary and grievance proceedings, to be funded from earmarked reserves; and

3.  That a one-off 2020-21 supplementary General Fund revenue budget of £486,000 be approved to create a financial provision for future anticipated external legal costs in relation to on-going disciplinary and grievance proceedings, to be funded from earmarked reserves.

Approval is being sought to commit £150,550 of external funding to the Capital Programme. The funding is from Historic England and is a grant payment to a specific property owner in Ramsgate as a contribution to their capital renovation costs for a listed building in the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HS HAZ) area.

The property owners have delivered considerable renovations to a long term vacant and dilapidated space, and have provided a source of funding which is acting as the wider HS HAZ match funding. The grant payment has been approved by Historic England and all legal documents have been provided and signed off by all parties.

1.  To approve a supplementary General Fund capital budget of £150,550 for a High Street Heritage Action Zone grant payment, to be wholly funded from external grant contributions;

2.  To give delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration pay the grants on the basis of the sign off from Historic England;

3.  To give delegated authority to the Director of Law and Democracy, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration, to sign the contract documents and any other necessary documents to give effect to this decision.