Thanet Lab

Leader's report to Council (23/02/2012)

2012-02-24T00:21:00.000Z

From Labour Leader Cllr Clive Hart

"Thank you Chairman

Since becoming leader I have had series of meetings with local business groups across Thanet and I'm pleased to say I have been made very welcome by all. Indeed, it is most heartening when the local business community send and post messages of support and thanks through the internet following such meetings.

I have been open and honest and have made it very clear at each and every one of these business meetings that we are a moderate centre left
administration that is elected by residents but share wholeheartedly the interests of local business. I understand the business community has developed very mixed feelings about dealings with this council in the past and we will do everything possible to rebuild their confidence in TDC. We truly want businesses to succeed and they appear to get that message loud and clear. Further meetings are planned and despite the
desperate national and international economic situation I am very optimistic for the future. I'm particularly optimistic regarding Ramsgate Port and Harbour where companies involved in renewable energy are establishing themselves along the shoreline in ever increasing numbers.

Cllr Poole and I had an excellent meeting with the Principal at Thanet College, and I was pleased to see his enthusiastic response to that meeting also posted on the internet through Twitter. We were in firm agreement as to the need for a clear focus on training and skills.

Unemployment figures here in Thanet, particularly in relation to young people, are nothing less than appalling and statistics regarding family and child poverty in areas of Ramsgate, Margate and Cliftonville are truly shocking.

The voluntary sector is a key partner to TDC and I am constantly meeting with residents from all manner of organisations who desperately want to help the council in numerous ways. From heritage, arts, sport and culture through to improving the local street scene and staging events, these voluntary organisations do incredible work and this administration is doing everything it possibly can to help and support them in return. I get the overall impression the voluntary sector, particularly those in Ramsgate, have too often been marginalised and sidelined by TDC in the past. We will most certainly do all we can to correct that!

Cllr Johnston and I met with KCC and the Housing and Community Agency earlier this week and I am convinced that with the help of council officers we put forward an excellent case for further assistance with the Live Margate project.

I recently attended the Kent Forum at County Hall and I left council leaders from across Kent in absolutely no uncertainty as to the devastating effect the governments proposed welfare reforms, changes to housing rules and the forthcoming universal credit plans will have on our district. The 'perfect storm' is brewing and its eye will be centred well and truly here in Thanet if significant changes are not made to these drastic proposals!

We now have a Labour led district council here in Thanet, working in partnership with a Conservative led county council on many crucial issues affecting our island and this too calls for a special kind of understanding. I was therefore delighted when I first became Leader, and in what was my very first communication from Paul Carter at KCC, he called for us to leave the politics out of our 'new' relationship. I couldn't agree more and I too made that very clear.

Anyone attending the recent GEEK 2012 Business Breakfast at the Winter Gardens will have noticed the excellent working relationship that I share with Kevin Lynes, the KCC Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development. This is particularly pleasing given that part of my role at TDC now oversees strategic development services in line with Kevin's county portfolio.

I recently met with the Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities at KCC, Mike Hill and I'm also delighted to say we saw absolutely eye to eye on future processes and procedures that should see TDC and KCC work much more closely together on local issues affecting Thanet. We also agreed to do that business in a far more balanced way than has been the case in the past.

Indeed, the very serious issues TDC and KCC face jointly here in Thanet call for frank no-nonsense dialogue that could well be enhanced through a more businesslike approach to matters, even if that means we have a slightly less cozy conversation than my predecessor may have been used to.

Paul Carter, Kevin Lynes and Mike Hill are old adversaries from my time at County Hall, but I truly believe we developed a healthy respect for each others views during what were much easier times for local government. I'm also convinced that we each and all accept the serious issues affecting Thanet are far too important to play politics with at Leadership level.

I'd like to finish by thanking my fellow councillors, the Chief Executive, the Senior Management Team and the army of officers and foot soldiers who have made the last ten weeks or so of my life a very interesting and rewarding time. I have to offer particular thanks to my PA who very subtly makes sure I do exactly what I'm supposed to do each and every day.

In a hung council I know exactly how precarious the position of Leader is and I know the only way I can hang on to this role is to give 100% day in day out and as long as you will have me as leader, that is what I intend to give to the role".

Standing by our manifesto commitments

2012-02-12T21:36:00.001Z

From Cllr Clive Hart - Labour Leader of Thanet District Council (TDC).

Amendments to Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA's)

In line with our Thanet Labour manifesto commitment, I have asked the Democratic Services team at TDC to bring a report to council on the 23rd February reducing by 20% the Special Responsibility Allowances paid to some councillors. SRA's are additional allowances paid to myself as Leader, the Deputy Leader, Cabinet Members, Shadow Cabinet members and Chairs and Vice Chairs of committee's. At present, in our 'inclusively' hung council, these extra allowances are spread across all political parties.

If agreed by council, the money saved will be used to reinstate a 'Members Community Grant Scheme' for all 56 councillors to use to support voluntary and community groups in their wards across Thanet. Around two years ago the former Conservative administration scrapped the original scheme which used to support numerous voluntary and community groups and projects across the island. Our Labour plans will see funding reinstated at no extra cost to the ratepayer whatsoever - sum neutral!

Special Responsibility Allowances are paid to councillors who take on posts requiring extra workload and which carry extra responsibility. I know how very hard these councillors work and that the SRA's paid at present are already in relative terms, low pay.

However, we are a hung council and no political party has an overall majority. We need to work together and find new ways to solve our problems. In this instance I am therefore asking those councillors receiving SRA's to sacrifice 20% of their own allowance for the greater benefit of our local community.

Response to Laura Sandys MP

2012-01-30T22:38:00.000Z

Thanet Labour decision is reasonable, proportionate and appropriate

By Cllr Clive Hart - Leader of Thanet District Council (TDC)

Let me be absolutely clear.

My decision to change the public consultation on night flights proposals at Manston follows legal advice given to the council which explains that at this stage, the proposals DO NOT require a planning application. Just as importantly, the advice goes on to state that the council’s role is one of CONSULTEE ONLY and as such the council will not be in a position to make a binding decision on night time flying at this stage.

My Conservative predecessor Cllr Bob Bayford had already spent several months and tens of thousands of pounds on this process before Labour took control of the council. His plans would have seen the council spend around a further £50,000 of public money on consultants to run the consultation process his way. Cllr Bayford may have been content to use ratepayers hard earned cash in this way and apparently Laura Sandys would like us do the same, but Labour will do precisely what is reasonable, proportionate and appropriate.

As for Laura Sandys' accusation that I am in some way 'watering down' the process, nothing could be further from the truth. The new TDC consultation process approach will now be focused here in Thanet with a strong weighting for the opinions of those directly affected by the proposals. I firmly believe this to be reasonable, proportionate and appropriate.

It is clear my Conservative predecessor was struggling with this issue. He had created a monster of a process that had got completely out of control. It would have left the council in the ridiculous position of spending enormous amounts of time and effort and a small fortune of public money on a consultation process that was only ever going to be used to form the council's 'opinion'.

Thanet residents, the airport consultative committee and the airports Chief Executive all complained to me about the long drawn out process we had inherited from the previous Conservative administration that was getting us nowhere. I therefore acted swiftly and did exactly what was reasonable, proportionate and appropriate.

Last but not least, I am pleased to see that on the serious issue of the environmental impact of the proposals, Laura Sandys shares exactly the same concerns as Thanet Labour and is firmly against night flights!

Dealing with Night Flight proposals - and halting the creation of a Monster

2012-01-25T12:04:00.000Z

Since Labour took control of Thanet Council in December it has become clear that the airport, its consultative committee, and many local residents are extremely concerned regarding the long drawn out time the council has been taking over Infratil's night time flying proposals.

The former Conservative administration had commissioned an expensive independent consultants report and at further serious cost legal opinions were sought. Large amounts of council officers valuable time had been used up on the process and yet another expensive company had been engaged to carry out the consultation, but little or no real progress was visible.

Indeed, many people were rightly angry at the lack of action, mainly because at a public meeting earlier in 2011 the former Conservative council leader had suggested the consultation might even start before Christmas. This when he must have known that through the process he was following, it could not have started before late February (after the TDC Overview and Scrutiny Committee). Even then, under Conservative plans, it would have had to run for several more months before council officers could even started to produce the findings and present them to councillors for further discussion.

Swift action is needed to take back control of a process that has clearly spiraled out of control under the previous Conservative administration.

Labour council leader Cllr Clive Hart will therefore today sign a TDC decision notice which outlines the intention to carry out an in-house 28 day consultation of Thanet residents that will be weighted strongly for those directly affected.

The decision follows legal advice which explains that at this stage, the proposals do not require a planning application. Just as importantly, the advice goes on to state that the council’s role is one of ‘consultee’ only and as such the council will not be in a position to make a binding decision on night time flying at this stage.

Labour council leader Cllr Clive Hart said: "it is clear our Conservative predecessors were struggling with this issue. They had created a monster of a process that had got completely out of control. It would have left the council in the ridiculous position of spending a small fortune of council tax payers money on a consultation process that was only ever going to be used to form the council's 'opinion'. The council has been advised that if there is an intensification or change in operation at the airport in the future then this position may change, and a planning application may be required, but at the moment the council is simply being asked to provide a response to the proposals.

My Conservative predecessor had already spent tens of thousands of pounds on this process before we took control of the council. His plans would have seen us spend around a further £50,000 on consultants to run the process his way. He may be content to use ratepayers hard earned cash but I am not!

Labour will do precisely what is reasonable, proportionate and appropriate under the circumstances".

The decision comes after the findings of an independent assessment commissioned by the former Conservative administration and carried out by Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd. on behalf of TDC, call into question a number of the environmental and economic claims of the airport in their submission to the council.

Notes. From the Thanet Labour Manifesto 2011:

'Labour will support the development of Manston Airport but will always be mindful of the impact on residents and the environment'.

'Labour will seek a policy of no flights during the hours of 23:00 to 07:00, except for emergency landings and humanitarian flights'.

Published by Thanet Labour Group Press Office, 44 Northdown Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 2RW.

Cllr. Driver and his resignation from Thanet Labour Group

2012-01-13T20:11:00.000Z

By Cllr Clive Hart - Labour Group Leader

THE FACTS

Firstly, Cllr Driver sent his apologies and did not attend the Group meeting where our original draft budget proposals were agreed.

Immediately after I received Cllr Driver's email regarding our draft budget press release I phoned him and discussed his concerns with him.

In public at the Thanet District Council (TDC) Cabinet meeting on 5th January Cllr Driver was allowed to speak and give his views on the issue and further discussion took place.

In public at the TDC Overview and Scrutiny meeting on 12th January Cllr Driver spoke at enormous length on the issue and even more discussion took place.

In the days between the Scrutiny meeting and our Group meeting on Thursday evening I spoke at length with our Group Deputy Leader, our Group Chair and our Cabinet member for Finance regarding Cllr Driver's concerns.

At Group on Thursday evening Cllr Driver was again encouraged to voice his concerns and ALL members present, including Cllr Driver repeatedly, debated the issue for well over an hour. When the final decision was made at the end of the debate, no-one supported Cllr Driver's view.

There were no 'scenes' and Cllr Driver left the meeting quietly, leaving behind his written resignation.

Our Group is a very inclusive and democratic organisation and I truly believe Cllr Driver was given every possible opportunity to put his case.

I think it is very sad that even after this lengthy procedure, he felt unable to accept the views of his fellow group members.

Cllr Driver's resignation changes little and I hope our sincere and positive actions since taking control have won us support outside of our party. Cross party working is essential in a hung council and I would think that is exactly what the public would wish to see.

Dreamland petition is presented to Public Inquiry

2012-01-11T11:49:00.000Z

Yesterday (10th January) the Public Inquiry into the future of the Dreamland began with a final decision expected around June. For the past two weeks campaigners have been running a 'Save Dreamland' petition in support of the plans put forward by Thanet Council and the Dreamland Trust. In this short space of time they managed to get almost 3,000 signatures - the original target was 1,000!

One of the organisers of the petition Dane Valley Ward Councillor Will Scobie said, " We would like to thank everyone that has given their support to this campaign. We know that any decision made on the future of Dreamland is going to be on a legal basis, but we felt it was important that the decision makers were aware of what the public wanted. Officers at Thanet Council and members of the Dreamland Trust have put so much work into the Dreamland project to get it this far, and we just hope that in some small way we have helped their case. It is clear from our discussions with local people that they want Dreamland open, and that they have no faith in the current owners of the site to deliver that. We hope the Planning Inspector looks at the facts of the case and the history of the site, and makes the right decision that will continue the regeneration of Margate."

Councillor Clive Hart accepting the 'Save Dreamland'
petition from Jodi Hibbert and Councillor Will Scobie

The petition was presented to the Leader of Thanet District Council Councillor Clive Hart, and then it was officially presented to the Planning Inspector in the Public Inquiry by Margate resident Jodi Hibbert who started the campaign and has been heavily involved in organising it.

Notes:

1. A copy of the petition can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4PbpXvHyNyMJmeueyG4-OGmksRL30f25394ryAW6C0/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

2. For more information on the campaign go to: http://williamscobie.blogspot.com/

Thanet Labour Group News - Cabinet Overhaul

2012-01-09T17:03:00.000Z

By Cllr Clive Hart - Labour Group Leader

Today I have announced changes to the Cabinet system at Thanet District Council (TDC) that will 'free up' leading council managers and officers time to concentrate on providing the very best service for local residents.

We inherited a Cabinet system from the previous Conservative administration at TDC that appeared clearly designed to fudge and confuse staff, councillors, the press and the public. Cabinet members with ridiculously patronizing titles, had portfolios that were all too often complicatedly entangled with many different business streams and departments of the council.

This was an incredibly wasteful use of valuable time and effort at TDC. Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet members had to spend enormous amounts of time speaking to a wide range of officers at the council and yet more worryingly, very highly paid leading officers of the council would spend hours going over the same matters time and time again.

I have therefore re-aligned the five Cabinet posts to directly correspond with the five business streams of the council and their five dedicated managers.

These changes, added to a number of initiatives that we have already introduced through our new Cabinet, will make matters at TDC more transparent and less confusing for everyone.

The new Cabinet roles which now directly relate to the existing council business streams will be:

Corporate & Regulatory Services Cllr Clive Hart

Commercial Services Cllr Alan Poole

Community Services Cllr Iris Johnston

Business Services Cllr Michelle Fenner

Financial Services Cllr Rick Everitt

Pierremont Park Community Centre

2012-01-05T22:52:00.001Z

By Cllr Matterface - Beacon Road Ward, Broadstairs

Nearly a decade ago Broadstairs & St. Peter’s Town Council came up with a scheme to build a community centre, a scheme that has divided the community it was intended to serve ever since.

The location for the centre, Pierremont Park, a town-centre green space, would be changed beyond recognition by a large building, the loss of mature trees and open space, creating a financial burden for the council taxpayer for many years.

A trust was set up, trustees appointed, funding won and lost. The scheme still proved controversial since many residents of all backgrounds objected to the whole approach of the plan.

An amended plan in two phases was agreed by the TDC planning committee. A £500000 loan from the Public Works Loan Board was taken out even before a lease was agreed at an annual cost to the council taxpayer of £35000. Together with the annual rent and rates this would equate to more than 25% of the town council’s precept. Funding from both TDC and KCC has been promised and rolled over several times.

A section 106 from the Hereson School site has been signed but the terms of that agreement and the proposed lease have not been made public so I cannot comment with any accuracy on those. The trust asked for a 99 year lease since funding would be impossible, it seems, with anything less. This would mean the land would be lost to the public more or less indefinitely.

Since the scheme was first thought of much has changed nationally and locally. New schools have up-to-date facilities. Churches have modified their premises and halls and the GAP Project at the Baptist Church is up and running. All this makes the community centre unnecessary and a financial burden for the council taxpayer for decades to come.

There are times when with any project there is a point when we say ‘enough’s enough, let’s cut our losses and move on’ and that time is now. I am asking the cabinet to refuse to award the lease for any period as the centre is unnecessary, too expensive to run and of doubtful viability.

Thanet District Council Draft Budget

2012-01-03T17:54:00.000Z

By Cllr Rick Everitt - Cabinet Member for Finance.


"No increase in council tax and some lower than originally proposed fees and charges are key aspects of the draft budget to be considered by Thanet District Council’s new Labour cabinet on Thursday night.


If eventually agreed by council a Band D householder will again pay just under £210 for TDC’s services in 2012/13, although the final council tax bill is dependent on other authorities’ decisions, including those of Kent County Council and the isle’s town and parish councils.

The new TDC administration has also intervened to reverse £50,000 of cuts to events funding and floral grants that had been tabled by the former Conservative administration.

Given that we only came into office on December 8th and the budget proposals had to be finalised well before Christmas, we have necessarily been limited in the changes we could make.

However, we have been able to reduce an inflation-busting 9 per cent hike to off-street car parking fees to allow time for a genuine consultation on proposals for a new charging scheme and we have cut back Conservative plans for 8.5 per cent and 15 per cent increases to the cost of cremations and burials.

Tory proposals to increase charges for pest control services to poorer households have also gone and we have reversed cuts in two areas that we believe would have particular impact on visitors coming to Thanet, in recognition of the bearing tourism has on the local economy.

These changes have been funded from existing government funding. We have made no new increases in fees and charges to cover them or to the council tax and neither are we drawing on reserves. The money was already there in government funding. It simply wasn’t allocated.

We recognise that many residents are suffering because of the state of the economy and as far as we can we have set out to ensure that the council doesn’t add to their problems.

Thanet has been severely hit by government cuts. We are one of only 12 local authorities in England - and the only one in Kent - that is receiving top-up funding this year because the scale of the funding reduction is so steep.

So while we are able to balance the books and do so without any significant cuts in jobs and services this year, we are not pretending that the council is doing everything it would like to do or is always delivering services of the quality and reliability that residents deserve.

Neither are we giving up on making those improvements in the future.

After cabinet on Thursday night, the budget proposals will go before overview and scrutiny next Tuesday (January 10th) and then on to council, which has the final say, on Thursday, January 19th.

The Conservatives have already had ample opportunity to input to the process as they effectively had ownership of the budget until less than a month ago. We have also held meetings with the council’s four Independent members to hear their views.

It’s a budget that all sides have had an opportunity to shape and therefore one which all should be able to support".

New Year's Firework Display - Broadstairs

2011-12-30T17:13:00.000Z

Statement from Cllr Clive Hart - Thanet District Council (TDC) Leader.

"Shortly after the Council offices had closed for Christmas it was brought to my attention that the organiser of the the proposed new year fireworks display for Broadstairs was having problems and over the Christmas period I worked with the local MP and the Local Area Police Commander in an effort to resolve matters.

However, I am informed that during further discussions held straight after the Christmas break, the organiser decided to cancel the event.

I wish to make it absolutely clear this was NOT a TDC event".

Conservative parking claims

2011-12-22T10:36:00.001Z

-by Cllr. Iris Johnston, Cabinet member for Community Services

Contrary to recent Tory claims the proposed consultation on parking was not a 'Conservative' inspired paper but part of the annual requirement to review Parking ( Parking Policy Transport Plan 2005 to 2011 Chapter 13).

The paper prepared by Mark Richardson and dated 13th December was for the Senior Officer Management Team led by Dr McGonigal. The next stage would be to inform the Leader and Cabinet of any changes and ask for their input. The report would come to Cabinet where all members have an opportunity to comment and ward councillors especially would have individual meetings in all our towns. The Public will be very much involved once Cabinet endorse the final document. This is likely to be in March and finalised in June.

When Labour last controlled Thanet Council (from 1995 to 2003) this was common practice and a series of public meetings on Parking were held around the Island so that everyone had an opportunity to be fully involved. I would want to reintroduce this.

I have absolutely NO evidence that Councillor Wells or any other member of the Conservative Party WROTE the report and one would not have expected them to do so. The dates and timing are important. Mr Richardson's discussion document for Senior Management team is dated 13th December, Councilor Wells lost his Cabinet position on the 9th. when I replaced him.

Although I find the document to be thorough, it was produced before the Mary Portus report and should take her points on Town Centres into consideration.

I also now await the Senior Officer Team's considered response before I ask for the paper to be taken to Cabinet.

Iris Johnston 01843 299207

NOTE:

1. For the record I understand Mr Richardson shared his ideas with his then Cabinet member Councillor Wells and Cllr Bruce on the 23rd November. They made up a 'two man' working party and it would appear this is the only date the three met to discuss the proposed document.

New Thanet District Council Labour Cabinet - leading by example

2011-12-14T09:46:00.000Z

Monday evening's extraordinary Thanet Council Cabinet was the first to take place since Labour gained control of Thanet District Council last week and immediately, there was a very different style and approach to matters.

The cabinet was made up of a group of three men and two women, an offer to include the two other political leaders in a fact finding mission was made, and on one particular item the whole cabinet team decided to visit the area concerned to gain in depth practical knowledge before making a decision.

Council Leader and Cabinet Chairman Cllr Clive Hart said:

"There are three very significant changes in the Labour teams approach to cabinet business.

Firstly, I'm delighted to be supported in our cabinet by two men and two women who each bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. Just as importantly, every member of our cabinet is a 'hands-on' councillor with practical common sense and excellent interpersonal skills.

Secondly, whenever necessary, and as a team, we will go out into the community concerned to see and hear for ourselves exactly what the situation is 'on the ground'.

Lastly, whilst maintaining ultimate control over cabinet decisions, we will endeavor to include the leaders of the other two political groups in fact finding projects affecting the residents of Thanet.

Our approach will be as fair, open, transparent and inclusive as is practical and possible".

Note: At item 7 of Monday's Thanet Council Cabinet agenda, Proposed Development - Hartsdown and Tivoli Park. The cabinet team unanimously agreed to visit the site to see and hear pertinent matters regarding the proposal. The Leaders of the other two political groups were invited to join the site visit which will take place at 2pm on Thursday 22nd December.

Labour administration takes charge in Thanet

2011-12-10T19:02:00.000Z

At Thursday nights Council meeting Councillor Clive Hart was elected leader of Thanet District Council, and Councillor Alan Poole was appointed Deputy Leader. The Council meeting itself was nail biting, and there was a healthy debate over the future of the Council. Former leader Councillor Bob Bayford was the first to congratulate Councillor Hart, and hopefully this will set the tone for future exchanges between all members of the Council during these difficult times. At the meeting Councillor Hart also appointed the rest of his Cabinet who are Councillor’s Rick Everitt, Michelle Fenner, and Iris Johnston.

Councillor Hart said: "I will work to make Thanet Council a more listening council that carries out genuine consultation when necessary. I want the council to be as transparent as possible when making decisions and I will do everything possible to minimise the effects of government cuts to funding here in Thanet".

Clive Hart and Alan Poole, Leader and Deputy Leader of Thanet District Council

Heritage lottery fund and dreamland

2011-11-22T15:29:00.000Z

Comment by Cllr Clive Hart - TDC Shadow Leader & Shadow Economic Development Portfolio Holder.

"The Heritage Lottery Funding announcement is good news for Margate and for Thanet as a whole. The Dreamland site has stood empty for far too long and as someone born, bred and living in the area concerned, I know only too well how the closure of Dreamland has blighted the town since 2004.

TDC certainly does need to get the compulsory purchase order for the site confirmed to allow the Dreamland Trust to complete their project and bring the venue back into use as a major seaside attraction".

Port and harbour neglect continues under the Conservatives

2011-11-18T14:26:00.000Z

By Cllr Clive Hart - Labour Shadow Leader of the Council.

At the Thanet Council Cabinet meeting on Thursday 17th November, Conservative Cabinet member Cllr Martin Wise announced "A Ramsgate Port and Harbour draft master plan has been developed and presented to Scrutiny".

Now I'm used to ambiguous language coming from our local Conservative party but this statement was quite simply 'a fudge too far'.

I have spoken with the Chairman of the Ramsgate Port and Harbour Scrutiny working party and he says he would dearly like to have sight of the document he has been promised for such a very long time now. He waits and waits but despite his constant requests it never comes.

For clarification - the actual facts are: at the earlier September Thanet Council Cabinet meeting the Commercial Services Manager explained that the initial draft Master plan for Ramsgate Port and Harbour was considered to need additional work and that the plan itself had not been circulated to the members as it was considered to need 'further development'.

It was also decided that a Cabinet Advisory Group would be needed for this 'further development' and on the 6th October I met with Conservative leader Cllr Bayford to agree the make-up of the group. We agreed the cabinet advisory group would consist of three Labour members and three Conservative members. On the 12th October I informed Cllr Bayford and the council that our Labour members would be Cllr Poole, Cllr Huxley and Cllr Fenner.

Yet another month has passed in this sorry saga and my members are all still eager and waiting. As with every other step taken on this elusive master plan project, procrastination and navel gazing appear to be the order of the day and to date no meetings have been planned.

Ramsgate Port and Harbour should be our islands 'jewel in the crown'. Instead we've had eight years of Conservative rule at Thanet Council and eight years of neglect.

Apology needed from Laura Sandys

2011-11-09T11:36:00.000Z

Dear Laura Sandys

I understand you have released a statement, part of which says:

'some councillors in recent weeks have suggested vigilante actions are needed to bring crime down'

I do sincerely hope you are not referring to any Labour councillors, who most certainly WOULD NOT call for this type of action.

In a joint letter dated 14th October 2011, Cllr Linda Aldred, Cllr Doug Clark and I warned the Police Area Commander and the TDC Chief Executive that we had serious concerns that local people might take matters into their own hands. This was following a ward surgery where more than one resident suggested precisely this course of action to us. We quite rightly warned them firmly against any such action and subsequently informed the Police and TDC at the highest level. I think you'll agree this is absolutely contrary to the description you have used in your statement.

One of my fellow councillors is a highly qualified and experienced community development worker and the other is a JP of 28 years standing. I have spent my adult life working for community cohesion in Margate, Cliftonville and across Thanet. If you are referring to our efforts in Cliftonville West to avert residents taking matters into their own hands you should urgently retract this statement and apologise.

Regards

Cllr Clive Hart

Laura Sandys: Are you serious about splitting Margate in half?

2011-11-08T11:10:00.000Z

From Michelle Fenner and Alan Poole.

At the Boundary Review Commission meeting in Maidstone last week we were astonished to hear the MP for South Thanet speak enthusiastically about the strong links between Little Stour and Ashstone and Ramsgate and that it would be perfectly acceptable to exclude Salmestone from the new Margate and Ramsgate constituency, and not to include either Garlinge or Westbrook!

Can you imagine the new Margate Constituency without the QEQM? Without Margate train station? Without Margate Football Club? Without Margate Cricket Club? Without Hartsdown Technology College? Even without the Margate cemetery and Thanet crematorium?

No doubt Ms. Sandys was being very selective about what she calls ‘community links’.

What is shocking is that our current MP for South Thanet does not seem to want to represent the whole community of Margate and yet is prepared to get rid of significant areas of it in favour of Sandwich, Little Stour and Ashstone.

The Margate community is closely-knit and must not be split. We strongly urge residents to write to:

The Boundary Commission:

35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQTelephone: 020 7276 1102
Email address for representations: reviews@bcommengland.x.gsi.gov.uk

supporting the inclusion of the Margate Wards of Westbrook and Garlinge and keeping Salmestone in the proposed new constituency of Margate & Ramsgate as they form an integral part of Margate and Thanet.

Youth unemployment petition

2011-11-05T18:45:00.003Z

Will Scobie, Luke Edwards and Linda Aldred

The Thanet Labour team were in Margate high street this morning asking people to sign the Labour petition on youth unemployment. The petition stated:

'Youth unemployment has hit almost one million and the Tory-led Government’s policies risk creating another lost generation like in the 1980s. Sign up to Labour’s campaign to call for the Government to repeat last year’s bonus tax and use the money raised to help create 100,000 more jobs for young people. Getting people off the dole and into work is the best way to get the deficit down – and stop Britain’s talent going to waste.'

Steve Alexandrou

In just one morning the team were able to get over 400 signatures, and it is clear that this is an issue that many people feel very strongly on. Young people are our future and we need to make sure that we give them the training, skills, and experience necessary for their lives ahead of them. The Tory-led Government is trying to save money in the short term, but in the long term this is only going to cost more through social problems and schemes to get people back to work.

The Labour team will be visiting Ramsgate next to get more signatures on Wednesday 16th November. They will be on Ramsgate high street at lunch time, so come along and talk to your local Labour team.

Jodi Hibbert, Louise Drelaud, Will Scobie, Jenny Matterface, Clive Hart, and James Watkins.

Manston - proposed night-time flying policy

2011-10-30T18:03:00.000Z

by Cllr. Clive Hart - Labour Group Leader

"The proposed night-time flying policy for Manston International Airport has now been published by Infratil.

Over the coming weeks and months members of the Labour group will scrutinise the proposed night-flying document carefully and thoroughly. Our District councillors will then make their individual views known at the appropriate points in the process, having taken account of all the information available".

Note: The proposed night-time flying policy may well become the subject of a planning application and therefore it would be inappropriate for any councillor to comment further at this time.

Tory led Government failing the South East

2011-10-27T11:56:00.000+01:00

Labour’s Shadow Minister for Further Education, Skills and Regional Growth, Gordon Marsden MP spoke this week at the Kent on Sunday Business Week Live in Dover. He was scathing of the Tories record on support for business and growth in the South East:

“The Tory-led Government’s much-touted Regional Growth Fund has helped precisely no businesses in the South East. Meanwhile latest figures show a 27% year on year increase in business failures in the South East. Unemployment in the region is soaring, which is a real worry because it’s one of the key regions where, if the Tory-led Government had been right in its argument, the private sector would have soaked up public sector job losses.

“Unfortunately, the Government has been wrong at almost every turn, and its decision to cut too far and too fast is hurting business and growth in the South East.”

Local employment problems come as no surprise

2011-10-24T23:11:00.000+01:00

By Councillor Mary Dwyer

The job figures in last weeks edition of the Isle of Thanet Gazette come as no surprise at all to me. I myself have struggled to find full time employment and it took me nearly two and a half years to find my current part time work. I am currently registered disabled and this has further reduced my chances of getting full time work because I need time off work occasionally due to to health problems.

In Thanet we currently have 6000 unemployed which works out at 9.7% - way about the national average. Of these 6000 people 30.4% are aged between the age of 18 and 24. In addition to this we have a lower weekly pay that any of the neighbouring areas, high levels of social deprivation, and some of the biggest cuts to Local Council grants in the entire country.

There was also recently a survey of UK Further Education Colleges which said that between 5% and 15% of young people said that they are not attending a course as a direct result of the abolition of the EMA. Last academic year 85% of students at Thanet College were in receipt of EMA, and this shows the extent to which the Coalition Government's policies are hurting young people.

One of my colleagues Councillor Will Scobie is currently running a campaign calling on the Government to provide more training and jobs for young people. The Labour Party will have a stall in Margate on the 5th November from 10am till 2pm - please come down and show your support by signing our petition.

Arlington House application referred to Full Council

2011-10-20T16:11:00.000+01:00

by Councillor Rick Everitt

Wednesday, October 19^th, was a good day for democracy in Thanet.

It ended with the Tesco application for Arlington House and Square referred to full council for decision on grounds of “transparency and accountability”.

Members of the planning committee had been asked to consider whether the recently upgraded listing of the neighbouring scenic railway from Grade II to Grade II* would have changed their decision “to grant permission for redevelopment of the site, subject to a legal agreement and safeguarding conditions”, back in June.

But members had not granted permission. As the minutes showed, they had simply referred the matter to the secretary of state – as they were required to do by legislation – with a recommendation for approval.

Even that had only been decided on the casting vote of the independent chair, Cllr Jack Cohen.

The June minutes were completely silent on what happened if, as was the case, the secretary of state sent the application back to TDC for determination. It was my view that meant it could and should come back to members and not be finalised by officers under delegated powers.

The attempt to deal with the scenic railway issue in isolation threatened to create the farcical scenario of Tory members attending the committee as substitutes deciding whether their absent colleagues would have reached a different decision without ever themselves hearing the application in full.

Labour members, who had all voted against the recommendation in the first place, were being invited to reconsider their decision on the basis of the upgraded listing, when they had already been in a minority and a change in their vote could only reaffirm the position the committee had already taken.

No wonder that officers gathered in an extended huddle when I moved that given the confusion the entire application should be referred to full council for decision instead.

Eventually, the proposition was deemed acceptable for debate and was passed 8-6, with all Labour members in support.

The application has proven controversial from the beginning, after Labour deputy leader Cllr Alan Poole was not allowed by the chair to move a restriction on night-time deliveries on the basis that Tesco had said they couldn’t operate like that.

Concerns have been raised about traffic and parking issues, and the effect on the traditional Margate shopping area, as well as the impact on residents of the existing development and on Dreamland. It’s a big decision and one the council has to get right.

Everyone wants to see this site regenerated and recognises that the money to do it has to come from somewhere. Now, hopefully, the issues will be fully aired and debated by the whole council and residents affected may have a little more confidence in the democratic process in Thanet.

That’s an outcome we should all celebrate.

Tory leadership pays lip service to fight to ban live animal exports from Ramsgate Port

2011-10-19T12:27:00.001+01:00

The Labour Group won an important vote at Full Council on 13^th October. The motion, presented by Cllr. Ian Driver, calls on TDC to encourage residents to sign the e-petition placed on its front page, regarding the limit to 8 hours as a maximum time for the transport of live animals.

In spite of Cllr. Bob Bayford’s previous comments that the British Government should take a firmer stance on this issue, regardless of the outcome of the review being undertaken by the European Commission, he was prepared to water down the Labour motion by merely informing residents that the e-petition has been placed on TDC’s website.

Cllr. Ian Driver expressed his dismay that the Tory Leader of the Council appeared scared to take a firm stance on this emotive issue.

Cllr. Michelle Fenner had read a message from Peter Skinner Labour MEP for South East Region to the protesters who had assembled outside the TDC buildings in which he reiterated his support for the campaign to win a total ban of live exports:

“I want to be totally clear: I condemn those involved in this barbaric business. Long distance transport causes unnecessary suffering: exhaustion, dehydration, stress and even death. Like you I want to see a complete ban on live exports from Ramsgate or anywhere else.

I will be working with campaigners from Ramsgate and right across Europe to secure that ban. We must work together at the local, national and international level to put an end to the cross border trade in animals.

Cllr. Michelle Fenner has since sent a question to Laura Sandys MP (Conservative) to ask her if she will lobby the British Government to enable TDC to produce a new by-law to stop the trade in live animal export from Ramsgate Port or to impose a rest break for the animals and use of port facilities by the transport company.

Cllr Michelle Fenner: ”TDC’s Leadership are paying lip-service to this issue. Fine words are no longer sufficient, action is needed by the Leadership of TDC and the local MP to ban these barbaric practices.”

Conservative's poor practice and spoiling tactics continue

2011-10-17T10:04:00.000+01:00

The first meeting of the new Thanet District Council (TDC) Local Development Framework (LDF) Cabinet Advisory Group was held on Thursday 6th October. The LDF covers a wide range of detailed planning policy and issues guiding development and investment for Thanet's long-term vision.

The first meeting was called to iron out organisational matters for the group who will be working on the long-term vision for TDC.

Regarding poor practice, Cllr Alan Poole immediately raised concerns that two cabinet members (Tories - Cllr Bayford and Cllr Moores) had been put on the advisory group and were therefore 'advising themselves'.

Cllr Clive Hart also raised the issue of a possible 'conflict of interest' concerning Cllr Bayford's membership as the group were discussing Kent county and East Kent Opportunities matters and Cllr Bayford is a Kent county councillor and a director of EKO. The legal officer had to dig very deep to squeeze Cllr Bayford out of this, but he did finally advise all was legal. Cllr Hart strongly disagreed with the legal officers advice that Cllr Bayford could carry on, on the basis that under the councillors code of conduct, councillors are supposed to consider how the 'man or woman in the street' would see any conflict, and he believed they would be appalled regarding Cllr Bayfords confusing roles.

Cllr Bayford then performed his usual 'you're being political' routine on Labour members so Cllr Hart reminded the group that the meeting had been made political even before members had sat down in their seats as Cllr Bayford, the Conservative council leader, had already decided there would be three Conservative's and only 2 Labour members on the advisory group (most other advisory groups are balanced due to the current 'hung' situation of the council at TDC).

Regarding continued Tory 'spoiling tactics' at TDC, these reached new heights when the LDF group got to deciding terms of reference and other organisational matters for the newly formed group. In the end Cllr Bayford was so angry at the perfectly reasonable request for advisory group members to maintain voting rights for their recommendations, that he ended the meeting prematurely and simply 'informed' the assembled group that he and his Cabinet would write its own terms of reference for them!

Following the meeting Labour Group Leader Cllr Clive Hart said "I felt it was a terrible shame that Cllr Bayford brought the LDF Advisory Committee to a sharp and premature close with the insistence that he and his cabinet will now write our terms of reference for us. Worse still is his insistence that we should not even be be allowed to vote on our recommendations.

I sincerely hope Cllr Bayford will see sense and maintain voting rights in this process. At the meeting there were several references made to the fact that the group 'ONLY' recommends matters to cabinet and I feel the further changes proposed by Cllr Bayford would water down the hard work of the committee still further".

The shrinking Isle

2011-10-14T08:27:00.000+01:00

The number of people registered to vote in Thanet is shrinking, with up to a sixth of voters having vanished from the electoral register in some places over the last four years.

The council’s Labour group is calling for an investigation after it emerged that more than 1,400 voters have disappeared in two of the wards its members represent – Margate Central and Cliftonville West.

Research carried out by Dane Valley ward councillor Will Scobie showed that Thanet was the only one of four East Kent districts to suffer an overall fall, with the number registered across the isle down 4.2 per cent.

By contrast, Shepway increased its electorate by nearly 10 per cent over the same period, while Canterbury was up 3.6 per cent and Dover 1.2 per cent.

The number on register in three-member Cliftonville West ward has plunged 16.2 per cent from 5,288 to 4,429 between 2007 and 2011, while two-member Margate Central has dropped 16.7 per cent from 3,516 to 2,942.

Five other Labour-held wards saw falls of more than 5 per cent over the period, with a 7.7 per cent decline in Ramsgate’s Eastcliff ward.

Shadow cabinet member Cllr Rick Everitt said: “These numbers matter, not only because people are losing their right to vote, but because the national political map is currently being redrawn on the basis of them.

“We recognise that some wards have a high turnover of residents, but people move in as well as out and with a rolling register they can join during the year so that’s no excuse.

“Neighbouring Conservative-run councils have managed to increase their electoral roll, so we have to ask why the Thanet Tories have let this drift to such an extent on their watch.

“Registration is supposed to be compulsory and the council has a statutory duty to keep the register up to date, but in some wards we find that house after house is missing from the roll, while in other cases details are out of date or just wrong.”

Labour suspicion was fuelled when members tried to raise the issue at the council’s electoral matters working party and was told that the group could only discuss polling districts and polling stations.

Cllr Everitt added: “With the government planning to introduce personal, instead of household, registration in 2014, we believe things are likely to get worse. Thanet needs to get a grip on the situation now.”

Dyslexia and its effects on achievement in Thanet

2011-10-10T09:19:00.000+01:00

Cllr. John Edwards (Dane Valley, Labour) invited Cllr. Michelle Fenner (Sir Moses Montefiore, Labour) whose professional work is in dyslexia and Cllr. Alan Poole (Deputy Leader of Labour Group) to a meeting at the Houses of Parliament with Kelvyn Hopkins MP and Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties on 7th September.

James Watkins, Alan Poole, Michelle Fenner, Kelvyn Hopkins and John Edwards

The meeting concentrated on the great need for Thanet schools to be able to provide the necessary support for dyslexic students, in an area of high indices of socio-economic deprivation and higher than average level of unemployment particularly amongst young people.

Kelvin Hopkins agreed to raise with the Government the concerns of the Thanet Labour Party that the Conservative led Government were not implementing plans drawn up by the last Labour Government to help improve the education of dyslexic children across Thanet and the rest of the country through the provision and funding of support and addressing the shortage of trained specialist teachers.

Cllr. Fenner: “ I meet many dyslexic people through my professional work and through my Council work and I am keen to do anything I can to improve their chances in life. It was a positive first meeting, opening the channels of communication and paving the way to a greater understanding of what is happening on the ground.”

Time to end Ramsgate live animal exports

2011-10-06T17:57:00.000+01:00

“Ban live exports” was the strong message from South East Euro MP Peter Skinner and local campaigners after a meeting with national animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming.

After years of falling live exports numbers are on the rise again. Last year the number of animals exported from Great Britain had dropped to 4000 sheep and no calves. But this year over 10,000 sheep, calves, pigs and goats calves had been exported already.

In response a campaign has been launched to fight the exports. Peter Skinner MEP recently hosted a meeting with James West of Compassion in World Farming and Reg Bell, a Kent based animal welfare campaigner, to discuss the next steps in getting this cruel trade banned.

Mr Skinner wants to see European action to ban live exports and a total maximum journey time of 8 hours for animals travelling for slaughter or fattening.

Local Campaigner Reg Bell was particularly keen to raise the issue of the poor standard and unsuitability of the vessels used to transport animals.

James West, Peter Skinner and Reg Bell

Peter Skinner MEP:
“I condemn those involved in this barbaric business. Long distance transport causes unnecessary suffering: exhaustion, dehydration, stress and even death. It's unnecessary and the people of Ramsgate don’t want it.

“We should trade in meat, not live animals. I want a full ban on live exports from Ramsgate and a maximum journey time of eight hours for animals in the UK. I will continue to work with determined local campaigners like Reg and Compassion in World Farming to make this a reality.”

James West, CiWF (Compassion in World Farming):
“This was a very constructive meeting with Peter Skinner MEP. He has a very good understanding of the issues surrounding live exports and is clearly dedicated to protecting the welfare of animals during transport. This is a cruel trade that causes unnecessary suffering and we’re delighted Peter is committed to ending it. We hope to be able to work with him on these issues in the future.”

Reg Bell (Broadstairs) local shop owner and campaigner:
“I am really pleased with how the meeting went, Peter was very keen to listen and take in what we were saying. He understands the issues with the vessel and delighted that he has promised to assist our campaign to ensure animals transported are protected from the weather.”

Michelle Fenner, Labour Councillor on Thanet District Council:
"Following my motion unanimously agreed at Full Council in July 2011, I will be asking TDC to lobby the local MPs to press the UK Government and the European Union to implement a maximum journey of 8 hours for the transport of live farm animals to slaughter or for fattening. The British Government should take specific steps itself to stop the cruel practices of this trade."

Spoiling tactics continue to hinder cross party working at Thanet District Council

2011-09-22T20:18:00.000+01:00

ITEM 8 TDC CABINET AGENDA 22nd SEPTEMBER

RECOMMENDATIONS TO CABINET

With regard to night-flying at Manston, Thanet District Council's (TDC) own Airport Working Party considered the Kent International Airport policy proposal and the peer review report from Bureau Veritus and made the following recommendations.

1 (a) The Council adopts a policy of not allowing scheduled, pre-planned or otherwise timetabled flights between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00
(b) That a period of 1 hour at either end of the flying day be allowed for late/early arriving flights only.
(c) That a penalty be applied to any flights arriving during the 1 hour periods
(d) No take-offs will be allowed between 23:00 and 07:00 hours
(e) A schedule of exceptions to the above will be prepared to include ‘mercy flights’, and flights, medical emergencies, coastguard movements etc.
2.    In respect of aspirations to be carried into a successor to the current Section.106 agreement;
(a)   Consideration be given to requesting the Airport owners whoever they may be at any given time to contribute to the cost of a TDC Airport Officer and that requirement is included in a new section 106 Agreement;
(b)   A new Section 106 Agreement is negotiated within 12 months.
3.    A further Term of Reference be added to the Airport Working Party; purpose that investigation is undertaken to the relationship between a possible Parkway Station and the Airport and the current need for it.
4.    Quarterly or half yearly reports are received by Thanet District Council on the performance of the Manston International Airport as measured against the section 106 Agreement.
5.    Thanet District Council be recommended to ask the Manston International Airport operator to review the Kent International Airport Consultative Committee (KIACC).

These recommendations were further considered and accepted in full by the TDC Overview and Scrutiny Panel at its meeting on 30th August.

However, following two pages of legal jargon, Thursday's agenda report finally recommended that Cabinet declines to agree to any of the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and further declines to refer any of them to full council.

Comment from Cllr Clive Hart - Shadow Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at TDC:

"Reading the one-sided report to Cabinet it's hard to see how any future consultation on this issue could ever be seen as being open and transparent. Once again it appears that every conceivable legal loophole is being used to squash the hard work of a cross party committee who were simply doing their job and doing it very well indeed".

Comment from Cllr Alan Poole - Shadow Member for Environment at TDC:

“The Overview & Scrutiny Report, by a cross-party group of councillors, is an essential part of the democratic process and by totally rubbishing this report the Council’s Administration has shown that they will go to any lengths to force through a night flying policy – this appears to be a blatant predetermination of the outcome of the public consultation and planning process.
The Cabinet Report also conveniently overlooks the fact that the Council’s Administration has completely failed to enforce many parts of the current section 106 Agreement.
Night Flights are a significant intensification of use and hence a material planning concern that will need to be taken into account when determining any future planning applications. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is also an essential part of the planning process.”

Thanet District Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 30/08/2011

2011-08-31T14:46:00.000+01:00

By Cllr David Green - Labour Vice Chair.

On Tuesday I proposed, and Peter Campbell seconded, that a report, from the Council’s Airport Working Party, on the monitoring of activities at Manston Airport including Night Flights policy be adopted by the Thanet District Council (TDC) Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and forwarded to Cabinet. The committee voted 8 to 7 with all Labour Councillors and Cllr King in favour.

“1 (a) The Council adopts a policy of not allowing scheduled, pre-planned or otherwise timetabled flights between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00

(b) That a period of 1 hour at either end of the flying day be allowed for late/early arriving flights only.

(d) No take-offs will be allowed between 23:00 and 07:00 hours

(e) A schedule of exceptions to the above will be prepared to include ‘mercy flights’, and flights, medical emergencies, coastguard movements etc.

2. In respect of aspirations to be carried into a successor to the current Section.106 agreement;

(a) Consideration be given to requesting the Airport owners whoever they may be at any given time to contribute to the cost of a TDC Airport Officer and that requirement is included in a new section 106 Agreement;

(b) A new Section 106 Agreement is negotiated within 12 months.

3. A further Term of Reference be added to the Airport Working Party; purpose that investigation is undertaken to the relationship between a possible Parkway Station and the Airport and the current need for it.

4. Quarterly or half yearly reports are received by Thanet District Council on the performance of the Manston International Airport as measured against the section 106 Agreement.

5. Thanet District Council be recommended to ask the Manston International Airport operator to review the Kent International Airport Consultative Committee (KIACC).”

The local Labour Party has been pressing for the issue to be addressed, as it should be, through the Planning system for years now. We argued through the Council’s airport working party and Scrutiny system that clarity over the current policy of no night flights was essential.

Thanet District Council, as the local Planning Authority has a clear duty to produce a Local Development Framework, against which local businesses, developers and residents can plan their future in terms of land use and environmental impact.

It is clear, that the Council has failed in this duty with regard to the future development of Kent International Airport. The environmental agreement that controls the conditions of use of the airport (section 106) was devised in 2000 and was anticipated as being updated every 3 years. In the intervening years it has served the community well, allowing development of the airport, but protecting residents from the worst environmental impacts. However, the aircraft industry and environmental standards have moved on. A new agreement is required, and the airport owners need a clear guide to what is acceptable.

The airport owners have produced a master plan of how they would like the airport to develop. It is aspirational as one would expect, and optimistic with regard to predicted traffic and jobs created. In the absence of planning guidance from the Council, the danger is that the master plan will become mistaken for Council policy.

Through inaction, the Council has allowed a myth to develop that all that is required is some minor adjustment to the conditions of the old s106 agreement that will allow the relaxations of environmental control that the master plan requires. As far as night time flying is concerned it is clear from reports commissioned by the airport and separately by the Council, that the environmental impact would be severe. This reinforces the legal opinion obtained on at least two occasions that night time flying represents sufficient intensification of use as to require fresh planning approval.

We believe a clear, balanced policy that protects the vulnerable public is required, but will allow future development of the airport allowing competition with other similar airports.

Response to Manston Airport press release of 16th August 2011

2011-08-19T20:09:00.000+01:00

The statement that the Labour Group at Thanet District Council is suggesting 'more onerous restrictions' at Manston Airport is absolutely and totally wrong!

Thanet Council Labour Group Leader Councillor Clive Hart said "The Labour Group simply stands by the current 106 agreement that has served Thanet well for the past decade. The 106 agreement also forms the basis of recommendations from a recent cross-party TDC Airport Working Party. We are certainly not calling for any 'more onerous restrictions' than already exist".

The Labour Group wish to make it absolutely clear that we are restating the current position of the council and in no way predetermining any decisions that may or may not have to be made in the future.

Night time flying

2011-07-16T23:24:00.000+01:00

Thanet District Council meeting - Thursday 14th July 2011.

(MOTION - INTRODUCTION - LEGAL ADVICE - OUTRAGE)

1) THE MOTION:

The following written motion to council was submitted by Cllr Clive Hart and seconded by Cllr Alan Poole (Thanet Labour Leader & Deputy Leader at TDC).

'The Council adopts a policy of not allowing scheduled, pre-planned or otherwise timetabled flights between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00. That a period of 1 hour at either end of the flying day be allowed for late/early arriving flights only. That a penalty be applied to any flights arriving during the 1 hour periods. No take-offs will be allowed between 23:00 and 07:00 hours and a schedule of exceptions to the above be prepared to include ‘mercy flights’, and flights for medical emergencies, coastguard movements etc'.

2) THE INTRODUCTION:

Introducing the motion at Thursday evenings meeting, Labour Leader of the Opposition Cllr Clive Hart said,

"Firstly, and I want to make this absolutely clear, we are not against the airport. We in the Labour Group most sincerely want to see a thriving airport creating good jobs for the people of Thanet.

However, we hear constantly of Thanet being termed as a ‘dumping ground’ in relation to social and economic issues and sadly, statistics show overwhelmingly that poor health standards here in Thanet are far worse than the average for the South East and even the whole country.

On a personal note, I have witnessed at first hand the effect that sleep deprivation can have on an individual. One of our wonderful grandsons has decided that for him, daytime starts anywhere between 3am and 5am and the cumulative effect of this over several months has had a devastating effect on his equally wonderful mother’s health and wellbeing.

Hopefully, that situation is a temporary one. The prospects for many Thanet residents if we are not clear as to what is and what is not reasonable could be permanent misery.

At this evening’s meeting we have heard what happens when there is a lack of ongoing monitoring in relation to grants and again in relation to a lease negotiated in good faith many years ago by this council.

The current section 106 agreement was put in place over a decade ago and has served Thanet very well indeed, but sadly the last two Conservative administrations at TDC have failed to review the agreement every three years as was originally planned, and it is clear from recent reports sponsored by the airport that they now see the 106 as an outdated agreement and will soon be pressing to extend their operations at night.

Chairman, America and Europe are currently experiencing very tough times due to the actions of a few bankers who saw loopholes in regulations and exploited them at all our cost.

We in Thanet suffer disproportionately from almost every social and economic ill. We do not need to add poorly regulated night time flying across our island as a further environmental problem.

The Labour Group therefore believes the council needs to give a clear steer as to what is and what is not environmentally acceptable here in Thanet. We support the airport but not at any environmental cost to the people of Thanet.

Chairman, I move the motion printed at item 8a in the agenda and option 2.2 to debate the motion".

3) THE LEAGAL ADVICE:

However, the TDC Legal Monitoring Officer advised the Chairman that the motion could not be allowed for complex legal reasons and pointed to a letter of advice from Bevan Brittan LLP (dated 14th July - the very day of the meeting) that had been left on councillors seats just minutes before the start of the meeting.

4) THE OUTRAGE

An intense debate on the extremely late legal advice followed in which Labour councillors explained that the motion had been handed in person by Cllr Hart to the Legal Monitoring Officer more than five weeks before the meeting on the 7th June and that the Monitoring Officer had read it and accepted it as a valid motion. A month later the motion had also been accepted onto and clearly printed in the council agenda as item 8a.

During the debate it also became clear that on the evening before Thursday's council meeting (13th July) Cllr Bayford, the Conservative Council Leader, had raised objections to the motion and that as a direct consequence further legal advice had been requested on the very day of the council meeting.

After the meeting Cllr Clive Hart said "TDC had my written motion to council for more than five weeks and the only thing I was aware of during the whole of that period was that it had been accepted onto and printed in the council agenda. The motion was submitted to support the councils own TDC Airport Working Party recommendations that had been 'left off' of the agenda of an Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting in error and the actual wording of the motion simply confirmed the basis of the existing 106 agreement that the Conservative administration had failed to review for the past eight years".

Note:

The night flying motion to council was also directly in line with the 2011 Thanet Labour Manifesto that proved so successful with the public that it helped Thanet Labour to increase its number to twenty six councillors at TDC, just one short of the Conservatives.

With three Independent councillors, May's elections left TDC with no party in overall control.

Tesco/Arlington development Margate

2011-07-11T19:06:00.000+01:00

RESPONSE TO DECISION

Margate Central Ward Councillors Iris Johnston and John Watkins have worked with the residents of Arlington House and nearby neighbours to try to get a sensible solution for the much neglected site.

Cllr Johnston said "Everyone has been in agreement, that due to Freshwaters years of neglect, the site is crying out for regeneration. Residents were very fair in their submissions and only wanted what was best. Traffic management, a right to a quiet night life and sufficient parking were high on their lists.

Mr Pickles, Secretary of State, has ignored our concerns and obviously given very little time to this application. We all want to work together for what is best for Margate and the Planning Committee really should have agreed to my request to bring the final decision to Full Council so that any outstanding issues could be addressed".

At the original Planning Committee Meeting an amendment tabled by Cllr Alan Poole to restrict deliveries to between 07:00 and 23:00 was ruled illegal by the Planning Officers. The reason given was the developers would not agree to it! The object of the amendment was to limit the potential noise nuisance to local residents.

Thanet Labour - Making serious matters clear

2011-07-08T02:24:00.000+01:00

At the meeting of Thanet District Council on the 14th July Thanet Labour Group will put forward two motions to council in line with their 2011 Manifesto. In doing so Labour councillors will make it absolutely clear what is acceptable and what is unacceptable here in Thanet with regards to two serious issues.

The first notice of motion is in relation to night time flying and has been proposed by Cllr Clive Hart and Cllr Alan Poole the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Group at TDC.

It reads: ‘The Council adopts a policy of not allowing scheduled, pre-planned or otherwise timetabled flights between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00. That a period of 1 hour at either end of the flying day be allowed for late/early arriving flights only. That a penalty be applied to any flights arriving during the 1 hour periods. No take-offs will be allowed between 23:00 and 07:00 hours and a schedule of exceptions to the above be prepared to include ‘mercy flights’, and flights for medical emergencies, coastguard movements etc’.

Cllr Clive Hart said "night flights are a key issue covered in our Thanet Labour Manifesto for 2011 and the wording of our motion follows precisely the recommendations of the TDC Airport Working Party. The current section 106 agreement was put in place over a decade ago and has served Thanet well but the council has failed in it's commitment to update the agreement every three years and it is clear from recent reports sponsored by the airport that it may soon be pressing to extend its operations at night. The Labour Group therefore believes the council needs to give a clear steer as to what is and what is not environmentally acceptable here in Thanet. We support the airport but not at any environmental cost to the people of Thanet".

The second notice of motion is in relation to live animal exports and was proposed by Cllr Michelle Fenner on 7th June.

Thanet District Council has just publicised the fact that it received legal advice on 23^rd June which “supports its views that there is no legal way to prevent the trade” but the unacceptability of the live trade remains unresolved.

There are still a number of conflicting legal documents from the UK law and various European Union regulations.

The fact that so far no UK court nor the European Court of Justice have justified the ban and that neither the UK Government nor the European Commission have legislated to prevent the trade does not stop TDC from taking part, as a stakeholder, in the EU review of its regulation on this issue to express its views and how it might be improved.

There will still be a motion on this issue from Cllr. Fenner at Full Council on 14^th July.

Cllr Michelle Fenner said "Since I submitted my motion on 7^th June I feel that TDC’s administration and Leadership have not been totally candid about the way they sought legal advice but I hope that in the interest of cross-party co-operation all elected members will support me at full council next week. I appeal to their sense of moral duty.”

East Kent opportunities and the EuroKent site

2011-07-01T11:19:00.000+01:00

In recent years we in the Labour Group at TDC have had reason to voice concern over who exactly is deciding the direction of the district council. Our feelings, clearly outlined in our 2011 manifesto, are that all too often officers appear to be deciding the direction of TDC rather than councillors who have been democratically elected by local residents.

The East Kent Opportunities, Eurokent proposals are yet another point in question. Land clearly designated for employment use by councillors through robust council procedures is simultaneously being promoted by EKO (a joint TDC and KCC venture) to include a substantial housing development.

We simply cannot understand how council officers were ever directed to make proposals which go so blatantly against TDC's own established policies. At last weeks public 'consultations' EKO officers promoted plans that go totally against TDC Planning Policy and did so whilst at the same time clearly stating that EKO was 'answerable to councillors'.

None of our 26 member strong Labour Group of councillors have endorsed the EKO proposals and I cannot imagine that any of the 3 members of the Independent Group have been involved either. At best, some of the 27 members of the Conservative administration may have had some kind of involvement and in any event they are now clearly a minority of members at TDC.

In short, in a time of austerity and cut-backs, officers have been allowed to carry out a substantial and extremely costly amount of work on a project that may well not meet the requirements of the full council. Possibly worse still, employment opportunities for the site may well have been missed whilst officers have been clearly misdirected in their efforts.

Note: The Eurokent site is land between Westwood Cross & the Newington estate on either side of the new main road.

Who will pay for our crossing?

2011-06-28T09:26:00.000+01:00

Dear Kent County Councillors,

Will you please use your dedicated funding to pay for our pelican crossing?

At the recent Joint Transportation Board meeting, a petition with 400 signatures from local residents of the Hereson Road, Ramsgate, was presented by Ward Councillors Alan Poole and Michelle Fenner requesting that the pedestrian crossing in the road be upgraded to a pelican crossing with traffic lights.

Using this crossing near the junction with Lillian Road has always been hazardous but it is now extremely precarious and dangerous. The opening of the new Tesco’s store has made the situation worse as customers park illegally on zigzag lines and on the crossing itself. The visibility for drivers and pedestrians is reduced. As a result there are numerous accounts of pedestrians nearly being run over whilst using the zebra crossing.

Cllr Fenner said: “We should not have to wait until a terrible accident happens for the crossing to be upgraded to a pelican crossing. The safety of pedestrians must be paramount.”

Cllr. Poole added: “We have asked the two Kent County Councillors, Bill Hayton and Bob Bayford, to use their Highway Allocation to fund the pelican crossing. According to the latest publication by the Thanet Joint Transportation Board they both have uncommitted KCC sums totaling £113.000 to be spent in their division, which should easily cover the cost of it. We are eagerly awaiting their response.”

The NHS - Safe in their hands?

2011-06-19T21:56:00.002+01:00

By Dick Symonds

No-one thinks so – but why do the Tories hate the NHS and persistently want to change it?

It wasn't always like this. The NHS and the Welfare State was the overwhelming democratic choice in 1945, when the country was nearly bankrupt and in hock to the USA. Some of the older among us will remember the basically decent Tories of the '50s and '60s, who were quite happy with the NHS the way it was – the 'consensus on the welfare state', they called it. Times were different then. Society was more equal, wages were proportionally higher, unemployment was low and your job was secure, and that trend was continuing. This worried the super-rich, the controllers of the growing multinational corporations. The call came for a politics which would be more to their liking, which would end all regulation of the private sector, reduce the State to a minimum, control the unions, push down the wages and use the threat of unemployment to keep the working class in its place. Thus Margaret Thatcher, the present Tories and what is now called 'neo-liberalism'. Thatcher hated the NHS precisely because it proved the opposite: a superb public service, with a caring and not a commercial basis, for all the people and removed the need for money up front, administered by a strong and confident State.

So, once secure, Thatcher started to change all that. First the commercialisation, providing more and more managers, making professional staff talk business mumbo-jumbo, setting up the silly game of pretending to be a real business, by having 'purchasers' and 'providers'. The powers of the Crown were removed, the efficient organisation of health authorities turned into Trusts, run by failed businessmen and retired colonels, and our NHS property increasingly mortgaged to the future by loans from private finance. Given the chance, after the fall of the Tories, New Labour failed to make more than cosmetic changes (though put more money into the NHS, and did improve the service).

And so today, our unelected Coalition government wants to dispose of what we democratically constructed. It wants more of the business game, to give the private sector more power. This may start small, but it is in the nature of capitalism to grow like a cancer, and there is at present no effective barrier to international private health corporations gobbling up any local private health enterprises. The ultimate goal of the Tories, and some have stated as much, is to have a health 'system' like the USA: where the poor can die in the street because they can't buy private health insurance, where the doctor is forbidden to prescribe treatments the insurers will not support, where 25% of the cost goes in administration. That's what private medicine means for the majority in the USA, whose biggest concern is that they will fall and for them it could mean destitution. Meanwhile the super-rich, the directors of the private health corporations, cream off the profits.

Our NHS is big and powerful, as big as the old Red Army, the Indian Railways and many small countries. Given the right political lead (or rather the left political lead), it could compete with any capitalist enterprise, by using its purchasing power, for bulk buying any medicines for example. No private corporation has such dedicated and qualified staff. We could strip out the whole commercial and business structure , make it democratically accountable, get rid of commissioning and consortia, and have a planning department and the delivery service.

So what is the problem that the Tories want to solve? They say our population is growing older and this is the problem. Well, it has been for centuries and it should be a blessing: our NHS has to be preventative and keep people healthier in old age. They say our cancer detection and treatment is poorer that some EU countries, but it varies from year to year. And these constitute the problem for which the NHS is to be risked?

ñ We, the people, have to give a resounding 'NO' to this unelected government’s plan

ñ The NHS is the Best of Britain: we'd be mad to let it go

Hands off our NHS!

4 P's and the SS

2011-06-18T07:59:00.000+01:00

by Cllr.Clive Hart

After several weeks of 'navel gazing' the new 'themed' cabinet portfolio structure has now finally been imposed on Thanet Council by the Conservative leader Cllr Bayford. His announcement came last week, a month after the elections. Hardly hitting the ground running.

Now Thanet Labour was most certainly 'on the ball'. 2011 saw a newly agreed staff structure at Thanet Council, and following the elections on May 5th the council had to decide on a cabinet and shadow cabinet to cover the newly configured organisation. We in the Labour Group met immediately to decide who should make up our cabinet/shadow team. For good measure, as group leader I also contacted the new Chief Executive to make sure that a five member cabinet, covering the five new business streams, would be appropriate. I was informed it would work well. Consequently, we in the Labour Group duly supplied the Council with our list of five councillors who would form either the cabinet or shadow cabinet, depending on the outcome of the Annual meeting. Job done and dusted and all before the council meeting itself. What could be simpler?

Surprisingly, on the day before the council AGM, I was informed that should the Conservative leader Cllr Bayford be elected leader of the council on the night, he would be staying with the old 'pre-restructure' portfolio roles. These in no way fitted the new TDC structure and I made it clear that this situation was absolutely ridiculous. The Tories reorganistional moves following the elections were clearly falling well behind schedule and at the Annual meeting we were forced to accept the Conservative leaders extremely muddled way forward.

Then, in the first week of June, a whole month after the elections, Cllr Bayford announced more changes to his cabinet portfolios that now confuse matters still further. Not five cabinet members covering the five senior management roles and the five business streams, no that would be far too simple. For reasons only he could try to explain Cllr Bayford has gone for five cabinet members covering his four dreamt up 'themes' (People - Place - Prosperity - Performance) and a 'spare' member covering shared services.

So now cabinet and shadow cabinet members at Thanet Council have to liaise with up to three different leading officers to cover the scope of their work, and far more importantly, highly paid councillor officers have to liaise with several different councillors in order to cover Cllr Bayford's four new 'themes'. If there was ever a plan to waste time and confuse all who have to deal with the council, the new Conservative 'themes' led cabinet is it!

However, Thanet's residents can rest assured that our Labour shadow team will do all that is necessary to carry out our respective roles and hold the Tory cabinet to account.

Campaigning to save our NHS

2011-06-14T12:06:00.000+01:00

by Cllr Jenny Matterface

On Saturday morning a group of us set out our stall in St. Peter's to highlight the threat to our NHS that is Not For Sale or N4S.

Dr.Dick Symonds, a local Labour activist, coined the phrase 'I'm not a commodity. My health is not for sale' and this clearly resonated with the public including many who had turned out to join the renowned Village Tour. Some confusion occurred because the organisers thought we were an unbooked tour but we soon reassured them that we were there to gather signatures on our petition and a number of tour participants signed up to save the NHS. 'John Wesley' was much enthused by our campaign and some 'fusion of time' ensued until we left the 18th century and re-joined the 21st.

Many of those who signed our petition were well-informed about the various u-turns since the original scheme was announced. Our signatories included current NHS staff as well as those who remembered the early days of the pioneering health reforms of the post-war period. Some, like me, had tales of family members, unable to afford treatment, whose health had suffered because their parents or spouses couldn't afford to pay for treatment. Everyone was adamant we must protect a health service that many in other countries envy.

I have friends in the USA who envy us our 'free at the point of delivery' health service. One friend with a very elderly parent has told me what a financial burden it is having to pay for his father's health care now the elderly gentleman no longer qualifies for Medicare. $1000 a month is the cost of his essential diabetes drugs.

None of the controversial policies were in the Conservative or Lib Dem manifestos at the general election in May 2010. They have come out of nowhere and are soon to be put to Parliament. We must all take a stand to defend our NHS that isn't for sale to the highest bidder so if you see us again with our petition and leaflets do join us and let David Cameron and Andrew Lansley know Thanet doesn't support these changes!

Labour Night Flights Resolution

2011-06-10T14:37:00.001+01:00

By Cllr David Green

The local Labour Party has been pressing for the issue to be addressed, as it should be, through the Planning system for years now. We argued through the Council’s airport working party and Scrutiny system that a clear policy of no night flights was the only policy acceptable at Kent International as at so many other airports.

On Tuesday Clive Hart, our leader, and Alan Poole, our deputy leader moved the following resolution to be debated at the next Thanet Council Meeting:

‘The Council adopts a policy of not allowing scheduled, pre-planned or otherwise timetabled flights between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00. That a period of 1 hour at either end of the flying day be allowed for late/early arriving flights only. That a penalty be applied to any flights arriving during the 1 hour periods. No take-offs will be allowed between 23:00 and 07:00 hours and a schedule of exceptions to the above be prepared to include ‘mercy flights’, and flights for medical emergencies, coastguard movements etc’.

Transport of Live Animals from the Port of Ramsgate

2011-06-07T12:54:00.000+01:00

By Cllr Michelle Fenner

Sadly, the transport of live animals has taken place on 2 occasions during the last few weeks from the Port of Ramsgate.

This situation has arisen as Dover currently does not have the capacity because of the refurbishment of 2 berths.

The company owners have not requested any facilities from Thanet Council to take care of the needs of farm animals if they are stationary in the port of Ramsgate, arguing that they would move them inland.

This type of uncaring treatment has led to the Lisbon Treaty, article 13 (2009) which re-classifies live animals as ‘sentient beings’ rather than ‘goods’.

The current argument against a ban is that it would allow a quantitative restriction on imports and exports. This argument is based on legislation from 1847 which assumes live farm animals to be ‘goods’.

Today the Labour Group gave written notice of a motion to full council that Thanet Council seeks legal opinion on the legality of a ban on the transport of live animals from the Port of Ramsgate.

Night flights study to be taken with a pinch of salt!

2011-05-30T10:17:00.000+01:00

The recent study produced by York Aviation, and paid for by Infratil, is based on an aspirational Airport Master Plan which was also produced by Infratil. It was no doubt designed to influence the local media, Councillors and planners, and is an expression of Infratil's hopes for the future. Master Plans are at best guesses and should be treated with appropriate scepticism.

The Manston Master Plan, published in October 2008, predicts a throughput of 2.2 million passengers and 167,000 tonnes of freight a year by 2018 with employment rising to 3,500. There appears little or no justification for these figures as Airports and Airlines, for their own commercial reasons, tend to exaggerate the number of jobs that will be created by airport expansion: they have shareholders to keep happy.

Currently all Regional Airports are suffering due to the economic down turn and if new runways are ever built at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted the future for Manston could be very bleak indeed.

Thanet Labour Deputy Leader Cllr Alan Poole said "Manston is operating nowhere near capacity during the day (07:00 to 23:00) and the introduction of night flights from 23:00 to 07:00 simply cannot be justified. Night flights could bring untold misery to Thanet’s residents. Sadly our local health statistics are already the worst in Kent and sleep deprivation is known to cause heart problems and further reduce life expectancy. The health and quality of life for Thanet’s residents must surely remain paramount considerations".

Thanet Labour Leader Cllr Clive Hart said "In so many ways our relatively poorer district here in Thanet is all too often seen as a very convenient dumping ground by an otherwise prosperous south-east economy and the protection of our local communities and their delicate local environment must therefore be our main priorities. Let's be clear, we - Thanet Labour - most certainly want Manston to succeed and to be prosperous. We certainly want good jobs for local people but we will not be hoodwinked by a study so clearly designed to benefit private interest and run roughshod over the threatened local communities that we represent".

Proud to be Pluralist

2011-05-28T10:40:00.000+01:00

By Councillor Linda Aldred

The results of the recent District elections left Thanet with no one political party gaining an overall majority. Within the two main groups (Conservatives 27 - Labour 26) there are very different scenarios indeed.

The Conservative group is made up of 20 men and 7 women. The Labour Group is made up of 14 men and 12 women.

At Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet level the differences are more pronounced. The Conservative Cabinet is totally made up of men whilst the Labour Shadow Cabinet is made up of 3 men and 2 women.

Now I'm a great believer in the right person for the job, whatever their gender, but are the Conservatives really saying that there are no women members in their group good enough for the job? What message does that send to the general public as a whole?

At the first meeting of Thanet Council since the elections I was very pleased to look around our assembled Labour group and see a real cross section of the communities we represent. There was a reasonable balance of male and female members from a wide range of age groups, and our number came from many walks of life.

The view on the Conservative benches was altogether different. A group very much dominated by, and exclusively led by, 'senior' men.

Our new Chairman

2011-05-23T21:40:00.002+01:00

Thanet Council press release about the aims for the year ahead of the new Chairman of the Council Doug Clark.

http://www.thanet.gov.uk/news/latest_press_releases/new_chairman_elected.aspx

A good night at Thanet District Council

2011-05-19T22:49:00.000+01:00

The newly enlarged twenty-six strong Thanet Labour Group took up their new positions on Thursday evening at the Thanet District Council AGM.

Firstly, in the council's primary civic roles, Cllr Doug Clark JP was elected as Council Chairman and Cllr Kay Dark as Vice Chairman.

On the political front, Labour Group Leader Cllr Clive Hart now heads a team of five Shadow Cabinet members including Cllr Alan Poole the Labour Deputy Leader and Cllrs Iris Johnston, Michelle Fenner and Richard Nicholson.

The TDC Labour Shadow Cabinet - left to right - Cllrs Alan Poole, Michelle Fenner, Clive Hart, Iris Johnston and Richard Nicholson.

Cllr David Green will be joint Vice Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel andCllr Harry Scobie will Chair the Joint Transportation Board.

Cllrs Peter Campbell and John Edwards are now the Vice Chairs of Governance and Audit and Licensing respectively.

Labour Group Leader Clive Hart said "I am absolutely delighted to lead a much larger Labour Group at TDC. The outcome of both the local elections and Thursdays AGM undoubtedly means there will need to be more cross party working at TDC. However, it is very important to understand, this is not a coalition and we in the Labour Group are now stronger, with our own set of very distinct policies that we will pursue".

Ed Miliband praises Thanet result

2011-05-12T18:58:00.000+01:00

Ed Miliband has spoken positively in The Independent about Labour's promising local election results in Thanet last week. “We made big gains in Thanet and Thurrock,” he said. “We made progress, it's a staging post.”

Elsewhere, on the Progress website, Luke Akehurst referred to Thanet as a 'bright spot' in Labour's electoral fortunes by acknowledging that “good hauls of seats” were won.

Though no party won an outright majority, it is fair to say that Thanet Labour made impressively strong gains, so it's very reassuring to see Ed Miliband and Luke Akehurst recognize the good work that went into achieving this.

Thank you, once again, to everyone who voted Labour last week. In doing so, you've helped send a strong message of discontent to the local Conservative group about the way they've been running our council. It's now time for them to listen to what the people of Thanet want!

Oh Roger

2011-05-11T19:15:00.000+01:00

Roger Gale appears to be trying to rewrite history to turn last weeks local elections into a victory for the Conservative Party in Thanet. Lets look at the raw facts.

The Conservatives lost five seats, one in North Thanet and four in South Thanet.
They only just held onto two more of their seats as they won by twenty five votes in Garlinge and only two in Beacon Road!
There was a 5% swing in the vote from Conservative to Labour.
Nearly every other Conservative Council in Kent was able to hold power (except Gravesham) and in many cases actually gained seats.

The result for the Thanet Conservative party when compared to the rest of the South East and Kent is appalling. When you look at Thanet against seats just like it in the South East like Dover and Dartford it really shows how bad the Thanet result was. Roger is right when he says no party won, but after his party has just taken a pasting in the elections perhaps he should think before he writes.

Thanet faces a huge task

2011-05-10T17:11:00.001+01:00

By Will Scobie

I have just come back from a talk with the Chief Executive designate Sue McGonigal in the Council Chambers over the state of Thanet. During the talk several very worrying facts were brought up.

Thanet compared to the rest of Kent has:

Lowest percentage of people working.
The biggest percentage of retired people (by 2026 it is expected that proportion of retired people will rise from 33% to 44 %!).
The lowest life expectancy ( recent report by the NHS in Thanet said that life expectancy is 5 years less for women, and 10 years less for men).
The lowest available jobs.
Highest level of jobseekers.
The most amount of special needs children.
High levels of part time and low income workers.
6.9% of 16-18 years olds are out of school or unemployed compared to 4.1% elsewhere in Kent.
Is bottom of the deprivation tables in the South East.

All of these different factors come together to form a deadly cocktail which will be exacerbated by huge cuts from Central Government. Transitional grants will help, but at the end of the day the question needs to be asked; why did Thanet have this money in the first place? The answer is because we have a huge amount of needy people and very few jobs. If the Central Government takes away the money then for many that leaves nothing. These are problems that I feel we all need to work together to deal with. The electorate have spoken to us and they have decided that they want all 3 groups to talk to one another. Now it is time for us to listen...

Labour Councillors - Business as usual

2011-05-08T21:02:00.000+01:00

As soon as the elections were over, Labour councillors across Thanet were straight back to business and doing business as usual. One example (pictured) was Cllrs Aldred, Clark and Hart holding their joint ward surgery at St Paul's Community Centre at the heart of their ward on Saturday morning. Labour councillors are rooted in their communities and work together with and for local residents - and not just at election time!

After the dust has settled

2011-05-07T11:18:00.000+01:00

Thanet Labour would just like to thank everyone who voted Labour on Thursday. The people have spoken and they have said that they have had enough of the local Conservative Council. Six seats have been gained by Labour. Labour has gained two in Dane Valley, two in Nethercourt, one in Beacon Road, and one in Central Harbour. Labour also came within 2 votes of winning the second seat in Beacon Road, and 25 votes of winning one of the Garlinge seats.

The full results can be found on the link below:

http://www.thanet.gov.uk/news/latest_press_releases/election_results_2011.aspx

Thursday - Your day to vote!

2011-05-03T22:47:00.000+01:00

By Clive Hart - Thanet Labour Group Leader

A month ago we launched our Thanet Labour Manifesto. We also launched this ThanetLab 'blog site and our goal for both projects was to set out our aims and objectives, clearly and concisely for all the people of Thanet. We've used the blog to expand on a number of pertinent topics and we hope that has been helpful.

For example, the Labour government brought high speed trains to Thanet and we've outlined our continued support for shortening travel times to London. However, Thanet Labour is always mindful of our local environment so a Parkway station with (to quote the Tory Leader at the last full council meeting) a huge car park, just doesn't make economic sense and we will certainly fight to keep Ramsgate main station.

We explained that Thanet Labour will support the development of Manston Airport but will always be mindful of the impact on residents and the environment. To this end we will implement a policy of no flights during the hours of 23:00 to 07:00, except emergency landings and humanitarian flights. We have simply not been convinced that the economic argument has been made for night flights, particularly when the airport is so underused during the day.

We have highlighted the sad plight of our local harbours under eight years of Tory neglect. Margate silted up and smelling of rotten seaweed and Ramsgate Royal Harbour and marina left in such a shoddy condition.

It was important to expose poor Conservative decision making. During discussions on a matter with serious financial implications and at a full council meeting last year, a leading Tory clearly said "lets make the decision now and look at the detail later". For this election, the Conservative's have also boasted openly on their leaflets that they help local traders by encouraging residents to shop locally, whilst having the very same leaflets printed in Canterbury.

Furthermore, the Tory fiasco regarding development in Pierremont Park in Broadstairs once again explained the Conservative's total lack of meaningful consultation and has all the hallmarks of their marathon fight with our own Thanet residents at the Montefiore Games Centre. That particular nonsense cost tens of thousands of pounds of ratepayers money and hundreds of hours of council time.

We set out our aim to have a Criminal Records Bureau check for every Thanet councillor and just to validate our claim that we need to improve standards at TDC, a Conservative candidate for Salmestone ward had to resign from the Conservative party only last week, due to appalling views he expressed openly on the internet.

For the past four weeks we have also been very busy delivering as many paper summaries of our manifesto as possible through residents letter boxes across Thanet (printed on the inside of Labour election addresses). It's been a fantastic month with wonderful weather and we've been joined by a number of leading Labour MP's including Harriet Harman and Yvette Cooper.

We gave our manifesto a great deal of time and thought and we sincerely hope we've informed you of our aims and objectives in one way or another. We know that everyone has busy lives these days, but this election will be a very close run event and every vote will count. We hope we have convinced you of our commitment to bringing back the pride in Thanet and that you will take the time to vote Labour on Thursday.

Thank you sincerely for your time.

Clive

May day with Harriet Harman

2011-05-03T08:21:00.000+01:00

Labour Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Harriet Harman was in Garlinge Ward on Monday supporting Thanet Labour.

Neglect of Thanet's Harbours

2011-04-29T22:10:00.000+01:00

By John Watkins

After eight years of neglect by Thanet District Council’s Tory administration, Margate Harbour is now in it’s worst state ever, since John Rennie’s stone harbour arm was first constructed early in the nineteenth century. Due to the constant build up of silt that has been allowed, there is now insufficient depth of water to accommodate any reasonable sized sailing or motor vessel and boat owners have been forced to moor their craft elsewhere. Sitting on the front patio of the new Turner Gallery should be a great experience, with the view to the west, over Margate main sands, for both local residents and visitors alike. However, if the tide is not covering the rotting seaweed and mud in the harbour at the time, a very unpleasant aroma is likely to soon drive most people inside.

At Ramsgate Royal Harbour marina, the neglect is even more marked. The absence of any planned maintenance programme has resulted in health and safety problems with pontoons and ladders and the build up of silt in the inner marina. Sections of the main Commercial quay are now ‘no go’ areas, due to problems with subsidence. Large weeds grow out of the basin walls and some of the pontoons at the eastern end are now so old and unstable that they have even received their own ‘Royal Historic’ plaque. The Pier yard is a disgrace, decorated with it’s own rotting hulk on prominent display alongside the detritus strewn listed Smeaton dry dock. Meanwhile the grade two star listed, Maritime Museum, closed for years now, becomes ever more run down, from the snapped off flag pole at the front to the smashed windows and yards of unsavoury graffiti covering the rear walls, neglect is everywhere.

Something urgently needs to alter the years of laissez faire mismanagement of Margate and Ramsgate harbours, and a change of political administration at Thanet District Council would be the swiftest way to achieve this.

Objectionable Conservative Behaviour

2011-04-28T13:31:00.000+01:00

The Labour Group in Thanet says the objectionable online behaviour of Conservative candidate Payam Tamiz is not the first time the local Tories have been shown to lack scruples.

Mr Tamiz has stood down after making offensive comments on Facebook about young women in Thanet and killer Raoul Moat.

Tory Leader and Leader of TDC, Bob Bayford said he had spoken to Mr Tamiz after being told of the comments but that he had left it for him to decide how to respond.

We believe Bob Bayford made a serious error of judgement and that he should have insisted on Mr. Tamiz’ immediate resignation.

Local Labour group spokeswoman Iris Johnston says: "This follows a string of unfortunate incidents for the Tories. Their former leader Sandy Ezekiel was reprimanded by the Standards Committee after threatening the then Mayor of Margate at a civic function; a Thanet Tory Councillor was forced to resign when it was discovered he was living in Panama and receiving his Councillor’s allowance (although the Tories argued for a year that he could do the job over the internet by email) and another Thanet Tory Councillor was imprisoned after being repeatedly caught drinking and driving.

This is a party with very questionable standards of behaviour and voters really need to be asking themselves on May 5 if these are the kind of people they want running their District.

The Tories are not only pulling the rug out from under local communities by slashing local services and making cuts that go too far and too fast, but they also do not seem to understand what is acceptable behaviour and what is not."

The people of Thanet, who are facing massive job losses through knee jerk cuts from Central Government, deserve a Council that fights for them. Labour must win on May 5th to bring back some decency and confidence to Thanet.

Thanet Labour Leader Clive Hart said "A key part in the 'Bringing Back the Pride' section of our Labour manifesto is to insist on Criminal Records Bureau Checks for all councillors”.

TORY CANDIDATE RESIGNS

2011-04-27T14:14:00.000+01:00

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23944760-tory-candidate-resigns-over-thanet-girls-are-slags-outburst.do

Latest from the Thanet Conservative Party.

Parkway Folly

2011-04-24T12:08:00.001+01:00

By Richard Nicholson

Despite all the evidence being to the contrary the Tories through Kent County Council still insist a “Parkway Station” will be of economic benefit to Thanet. They claim this is needed to make Manston airport a success but the passenger figures do not lie. At best 80,000 passengers have used the airport in any one year, 90% plus come by car or taxi, so approximately 10,000 would come by train equal to 200 a week, less than 30 a day. So assume 15 getting on or off the train. And we are expected to believe this is a good use of public money?

The only way to justify this expenditure would be the closure of Ramsgate Station and even Broadstairs. However this will create several problems, an enormous parking need on green land and more traffic snarl ups especially at peak times.

What we are actually getting is a pie in the sky scheme once again promising huge economic gains, like all the other Tory schemes which are no more than hot air. This neatly distracts residents from the failures we have had to endure over the last eight years. This parkway is not justified nor needed, improve the road system and some minor modifications to Ramsgate station and Manston airport can be well served.

Tories Wish List Launched - Venue Says More Than Their Document

2011-04-21T22:53:00.000+01:00

By Clive Hart

As usual, the last minute Tory manifesto tries to rewrite history. In his introduction Bob Bayford says the Tories have tried to do their best for four years, but local residents have actually suffered under Conservative control at TDC for eight long years, and boy don't they know it!

The Conservatives say they have 'helped traders by encouraging residents to shop locally', yet their Tory 'Shop Local' scheme is in tatters and they get their own Conservative election leaflets printed in Canterbury.

Like so many of the numerous 'visions' and 'masterplans' we've been bombarded with over that past eight years by Thanet Conservatives, their manifesto is just another wish list. Our town centres and harbours have been neglected and too many of Thanet's streets are under maintained. No amount of last minute window dressing can hide them and four more years of Tory rule would simply prolong the negligence.

Their decision to use the Oval lawns in Cliftonville for their manifesto launch on Tuesday was yet another Tory bungle. Just a few hours after the Conservative bash, Cliftonville Residents Association held their AGM in a hotel overlooking the lawns, and there was genuine local anger voiced at the way Tory-led TDC had dealt with matters concerning the Oval arena and bandstand.

For his first announcement, the CRA Chairman explained that TDC had recently contacted the residents association with a very worrying communication asking 'what agreement the association actually had with TDC to run the food kiosk and how much rent does the association pay for it'? The fact is, Cliftonville Residents Association is an extremely hard working voluntary organisation that has done sterling work for fifteen years and for the last ten years they have provided the regular award winning Farmers Markets. Among numerous other community projects the residents association also stage regular band concerts for local residents and visitors. The residents association should therefore be given every assistance by TDC to help them. They certainly should not have hurdles put in their way!

Just to make matters worse, the Conservative Deputy Leader of the council explained to the residents at the meeting that 'someone had approached the council wanting to use the kiosk seven days a week'. Could that mean that after a decade and a half the residents association could just be ejected from the venue?

The next matter raised by the residents Chairman was the regular band concerts, also staged at the Oval by his association. He said he hoped funding of £4,000 to continue the concerts would soon be forthcoming from TDC. Once again the Conservative Deputy Leader of the council dissapointed residents by telling them he had 'no knowledge of any such funding'.

Lastly came a report from the residents chairman on the condition of the TDC owned Oval arena and bandstand. He said that paint was peeling on the bandstand roof at an alarming rate and that much of the arena fencing was dangerous. Calls came from the floor for (Tory-led) TDC to get on and do the work to restore the venue.

So basically, for their manifesto launch, the Conservatives used a much loved community facility that's been virtually neglected by Conservative-led TDC, consistently starved of funding by Conservative-led TDC and a venue that now has a less than secure future thanks to Conservative-led TDC.

Tories shop local - but not for their leaflets!

2011-04-19T23:20:00.000+01:00

By Clive Hart

NO WONDER THE CONSERVATIVE SHOP LOCAL SCHEME IS A FLOP. THE TORIES DO THEIR OWN BUSINESS IN CANTERBURY.

Thanet Conservatives boast on their election leaflets that they have 'helped traders by encouraging residents to shop locally'. So why are their election leaflets printed in Canterbury?

At a recent local business meeting in Cliftonville a discussion took place regarding their Thanet Tory 'Shop Local' scheme. It appears the Conservative administration at TDC now want businesses to pay £35 to be members of the scheme, instead of the original £25 first year cost. But here's the real rub - they also want the businesses to 'run the scheme themselves'. Yes, a £10 increase and 'do it yourself from now on'. Sounds like more of that Big Society nonsense!

The meeting was also informed that at least 35 businesses in Northdown Road alone, would have to join the scheme for it to be viable. The vast majority of businesspeople attending the meeting just laughed out loud when that '35 business' requirement was read out. 'What planet are they on' was one comment shouted from the floor.

Hardly anyone at the meeting could name a business involved in the scheme. The few businesses that were, at some point involved, had apparently failed to give either the discount or incentive required through the scheme to make it work. No-one at the meeting could think of any benefits that have come to businesses from the scheme to date and the general consensus was that it was a complete and total farce.

A representative from Margate then explained that Margate shops would 'probably not be involved in the scheme from now on'. Margate had a requirement to find 45 interested businesses. The representative also explained that problems had developed with the Shop Local scheme following staff changes at TDC that had moved people into different departments and even sometimes into different districts.

That brings us to yet another boast on the Conservative election leaflet, yes the Tories have 'implemented a shared service programme with neighbouring districts.