Chair of Margate Town Deal Board steps down

Following news of the success of the Margate Town Deal Board’s Town Investment Plan, current Chair Graham Razey OBE has today (Wednesday 10 March) announced he will be stepping down from the role.  

Graham has led the board since its inception in February 2020 and has now announced he will stand down.

The resignation comes at a time when many Town Deal Boards across the country are reviewing their governance structure and board membership in preparation for the next phase of the Town Deal process, which will involve developing full Business Cases. 

Graham Razey, Chair of the Margate Town Deal Board said: “I’m overwhelmingly proud of the work the board has delivered in partnership with our local community and I feel immensely privileged to have been a part of the process. I have always been committed to working to enhance the Thanet district and feel that delivering the Town Investment Plan will catalyse that process for Margate. It is absolutely wonderful to know that I played a part in helping ensure Margate received funding for many of its Town Investment Plan initiatives, and I feel confident it will deliver transformational programmes now.”

“As part of this, I believe I am better placed to help Margate continue to develop through the skills agenda. In line with that belief, I now feel there is another opportunity for me to better serve the community of Margate, so have taken the decision to stand down from the board. I will be moving my focus to an exciting new project which could see the delivery of new digital education provision within the town. I believe the plans for this are truly exciting for the local community, as it will help drive development of the digital industry through the delivery of the next generation of talented professionals.

“I will continue to follow the activities of the board in the future whilst remaining a passionate supporter and advocate of both Margate and the wider Thanet area.”

Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Rick Everitt, said: “I want to take this opportunity to thank Graham for his contribution and unwavering dedication while leading the board through such a pivotal phase of the Town Deal process for Margate. Just last week we celebrated the news that Margate could receive £22.2m of investment following our Town Investment Plan submission. This allocation of funding is testament to the collective hard work of the Project Team and Margate Town Deal Board, which Graham has chaired since its inception. Since becoming Chair, Graham has worked tirelessly with the board to create a clear vision reflective of the town’s community that will help deliver economic growth. And this has been capped by the successful bid for funding from Government as announced in the recent Budget. We wish him well with his future plans.”

Margate has been awarded up to £22.2m to support ambitious plans set out in the Town Investment Plan as part of the government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund. The fund aims to support urban regeneration, skills development and improved connectivity by giving each place its own Town Deal.  Thanet District Council and the Margate Town Deal Board are required to respond to the Heads of Terms by 24 March 2021. Whilst revised Governance arrangement are developed and agreed, and the Margate Town Deal Board goes through the process of finalising the list of projects against the £22.2m offer, David Smith CBE will take on the role as Interim Chair. David has a huge amount of experience in navigating the technical requirements related to such funding programmes and will be able to support the Board and project team in putting together the required documentation. Once the Governance arrangements are agreed, we will be recruiting to the Chair role of the Margate Town Deal Board, in an open way.

Details around the recruitment of a permanent chair will be publicised in due course. 

Find out more about the Margate Town Investment Plan