Cllr Clive Hart - Report to council –
24/04/2014
“Thank you Chairman.
We have a number of projects planned across Thanet, from re-planting of public
gardens to the regeneration of empty properties and the creation of more
affordable housing.
Working together with the local
communities we’re making real headway.
Some of the projects:
RAMSGATE HARBOUR
£2million partnership bid is
proposed to be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund this Autumn (2014).
The bid will comprise:
• Capital works to
structures
• Conservation
Management Plan for the Harbour
• Agreement with
English Heritage as to what requires listed building consent
• Funding of post
to promote Harbour as a Heritage Destination and an education and
engagement programme
EAST PIER YARD RAMSGATE
Proposal to discuss whether to
develop a town square for Ramsgate in this location, with consideration given
to the current public parking.
This would involve:
• Developing as
town square for Ramsgate
• Relocation of Saturday
Market
• Proposal to
remove as off street car park
DOLPHIN LIGHTS
The Dolphin lights are a key
heritage feature of Ramsgate.
Work will be undertaken to
undertake repairs and will involve some changes to location of the lights to
make the layout more rational.
PLANTING OF ROYAL PARADE
ALCOVES
The arches opposite the dolphin
lights on Royal Parade are to be cleared out and washed, with some replanting
and the placing of large seafront pots in some of the alcoves by Ramsgate Town
Council.
EASTERN PROMENADE GARDENS
This will involve:
• Formal planting
scheme around the Bandstand
• Friends of
Ramsgate Seafront taking on planting bed by Granville Theatre
• Madeira Walk
planting to match work at Albion Gardens
• Supporting
potential HLF bid by Ramsgate Society on Ramsgate Heritage Promenades
THE CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT NEWINGTON
The regeneration of The Centre
at Newington is progressing well with 37 new affordable homes delivered and 38
more homes with planning consent due to be delivered by Orbit Housing.
The Council have transferred
the Flowing Bowl site to Orbit to complete the regeneration of the area. This
final phase of the regeneration should be complete by 2016.
EMTY PROPERTIES PROJECT IN RA
The regeneration of empty properties
in Ramsgate is underway with three new affordable homes complete and works due
to start at 52 Addington street and 59 Grange road providing an additional six
new homes.
There are further properties and
projects in the pipeline to provide a further 17 affordable homes.
RAMSGATE TUNNELS
There are nearly 4 miles of disused
tunnels underneath Ramsgate which are the responsibility of Thanet District
Council.
A Big Lottery grant of £53k was
achieved by Ramsgate Town Council for feasibility work.
Thanet Council is providing
£51k of funding to the Ramsgate Regeneration Heritage Trust (RRHT) for safety
equipment, services, security and asbestos removal.
The terms of a lease are being
finalised for RRHT to operate 'Tunnel Explorer' tours starting this summer.
RHRT have recently secured a
further grant from Heritage Lottery Fund for £84k.
The grand opening of the tunnels is
programmed for the beginning of June.
HARBOUR PROJECTS
Recent negotiation with the
lead partner of the LOPINOD Interreg project.
The aim is to develop self-funding
investment projects.
Potential projects to be
covered by study include:
• Tidal turbines
using Smeaton's inner harbour sluices
• Photo panels on
port and harbour building
• Micro- wind
turbines and Marine heat pumps
THE GREEN BOX
Consultants are to consider the
feasibility of developing a centre dedicated to the low carbon and
environmental goods and services sector in Thanet.
The proposed centre could
provide a combination of accommodation for businesses, education and exhibition
space, café/networking space and somewhere for people to find out more about
renewable technologies.
This would form part of the
Council’s Economic Growth and Regeneration Strategy – way to take advantage of
a growing sector in the district, taking advantage of the Operations and
Maintenance bases of the offshore windfarms, Thanet Earth, East Kent College’s
Environmental Technologies training centre, developing solar farms and other
renewable activities in and around the district.
The aim would be to act as a catalyst
for a step-change in the acceptance of low carbon solutions as an important
part of our economy
KING STREET RAMSGATE
King Street in Ramsgate has
previously benefitted from previous interventions to convert underutlisied/derelict
properties into residential use.Discussions are now underway to progress a
deliverable vision for the area.
ROYAL PAVILLION
• Lease
negotiations to proceed with JD Wetherspoon.
• Create a high
quality restaurant/pub in two thirds of the building.
• The other third
will be available for leisure or retail offers.
• But JD
Wetherspoon must satisfy the Council lease terms, adhere to listed building
requirements and gain planning permission.
• Invest
approximately £3 million pounds in the building.
• Create employment
– 50/60 jobs in their restaurant.
• The other third
will be refurbished to a high standard ready for fit out.
• Once open will
draw people into the area.
Likely to stimulate other commercial activity in the vicinity.
MARGATE - DREAMLAND
Thanet District Council is
progressing with plans to create a world class leisure attraction at the
Dreamland site in Margate.
The council, which owns the
entire Dreamland site in Margate, plans to develop the whole site for leisure
use and has assembled a funding package to bring forward the first stage of
Dreamland’s restoration.
As the successful operation of
an amusement park requires specialist technical expertise, the council is now
looking to progress an open procurement process, to identify a suitable
operating company to run the park.
The council is working towards
re-opening the first phase of the park in 2015 with a restored Scenic Railway,
thrilling historic rides and top quality food and beverage outlets. Further
phases would then follow.
The council has a professional
project management team on-board to manage the project.
This team of professionals have
pulled together detailed cost plans and are working through the costs and risks
on a day to day basis. They meet regularly with council officers, and updates
on progress will continue to be shared with Councillors.
BROADSTAIRS
PLAY AREA
At Cabinet we agreed to provide
approximately £40,000 of funding to help improve the facilities at Memorial
Park playground in Broadstairs.
The decision follows a 1,760
strong petition submitted to the council by local residents to undertake major
improvements to the Broadstairs play area, and will include relocation of the
play area to a more suitable place.
Cabinet agreed to the
refurbishment of four play areas across Thanet that were highlighted by ROSPA
(Royal Society for the prevention of accidents) as a health and safety risk.
The other four play areas to
receive funding cover Margate, Ramsgate and the Villages, so undertaking
improvements in Broadstairs also means the council will now be investing in
play facilities across the whole district.
SKATEPARKS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT
Thanet District Council has
committed almost a quarter of a million pounds to develop new skate park
facilities across the district.
£220,000 has been set aside to
develop three brand new state of the art skate parks in Broadstairs, Ramsgate
and Margate.
The council is very close to
awarding the contract and has been involving the local community and groups of
young skaters in the plans for some time.
I’m very keen keen to set the
record straight following recent coverage of the demolition of the unofficial
skate park constructed in Cliftonville.
The council is serious about
creating new opportunities for our young people and has listened to the
requests for the council to develop more skate parks in Thanet.
Following a petition last year,
we’ve set aside a considerable amount of money to achieve this and have been
involving the young skaters directly in the plans.
With hundreds of thousands of pounds
committed to developing new state of the art skate facilities right across the
district, we believe we now need to move forward more positively in partnership
with the local community and celebrate what’s still to come!
MANSTON
I proposed an emergency motion
on Thursday 20 March to crucial regional meetings concerning exploring the
extension of the enterprise zone. This was discussed at the Kent Leader’s
meeting and at the Thanet Regeneration Board.
I put forward the emergency
motion so that we could explore the possibility of extending the Enterprise
Zone from Discovery Park at Richborough. I’ve suggested discussing extending
this to cover the Richborough corridor, which is a former power station site,
Manston Business Park and Manston Airport itself.
The council has been clear that
it has supported the airport and this could help us find the best opportunity
to either save the airport in its current form or find the best possible future
for the site, whichever scenario plays out. This proposal was well-received and
it is reassuring that this has been discussed.
Government is now officially
being asked to consider extending the current enterprise zone at Discovery Park
in Sandwich to also cover Thanet.
The final draft of the Kent and
Medway Growth Deal document, delivered to Government this week, features as a
chapter in the South East LEP'S Strategic Economic Plan.
It asks Government to permit
Thanet District Council to retain 100% of business rate receipts within the
Zone with no impact on their baseline, in order that discounts can be fully
funded by receipts above the discount level.
It proposes to allocate £3.5
million in Local Growth Fund finance to support commercial
development at Manston and Discovery Park.
It also proposes to
support SEFUND investment in commercial and residential development.
The recent news of the proposal to
consult on possible closure of the airport came as a real shock. However,
whether or not the site remains as an airport, the proposals to Government in
the Kent and Medway Growth Plan for enterprise zone status will give us the
very best chance to turn the current situation into a long-term success.
THE SHED PROJECT BROADSTAIRS.
Thanet District Council has
supported the project by issuing a licence to the Broadstairs Town Team. The
agreement has allowed the Shed project to have base to work from and in return
they will help TDC by repairing some of the building at Pierremont and thereby
reduce the potential costs the Council would have faced had it needed to pay
for the repairs. The Shed project has the potential to work on improving
projects in the local town and ideas have already included a temporary disabled
ramp to the nearby War Memorial for commemorative purposes and discussions
possibly to provide a fence to the proposed new play area at nearby Memorial
Recreation Ground.
ELLINGTON PARK
This has been the focus of a
lot of local enthusiasm and a bid to the Peoples Millions succeeded this last
year and TDC has granted a licence for a wildlife garden to be installed which
was . This is part of a bigger project that officers have worked on to try and
secure a Heritage Lottery Bid that is being considered currently. Work has been
undertaken to allow a mobile unit in the park to keep the public updated on
progress and also work to install toilets for the events being held on a
regular basis in the park.
OTHER PROJECTS
We are also supporting the
Maritime Museum through the Steam Museum Trust, Project Motorhouse and Margate
Caves Educational Trust who each have some very positive long-term plans.
THE SUCCESS PROGRAMME
Last but far from least: The
South-East Urban Coast Creative Enterprise Support Scheme (SUCCESS) provides
grants for new or expanding creative businesses that are creating jobs in the
Hastings, Thanet and Tendring local authority areas.
It aims to help creative
businesses to grow and flourish, and create new jobs.
I attended a governance meeting in
Hastings on Thursday and I’m pleased to report that Thanet projects look to be
the first to be successful through SUCCESS”.
Published
by Thanet Labour Group Press Office – 44 Northdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 2RW.
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