Margate Town Deal
In September 2019, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that 101 towns in England will benefit from the £3.6 billion Towns Fund and Margate was one of them (with up to £25m of investment potentially available).
Objectives
The objective of the Fund is to drive the economic regeneration of towns to deliver long term economic and productivity growth through:
- Urban regeneration, planning and land use: ensuring towns are thriving places for people to live and work
- Skills and enterprise infrastructure
- Connectivity: developing local transport schemes that complement regional and national networks, as well as supporting the delivery of improved digital connectivity
These pages are where you can find out about the Town Deal, including how you can help shape Margate’s future by taking part in a variety of public engagement activities.
The Fund is a capital fund, which means it has to be used for tangible assets such as buildings or public space. Whilst the funding is being used to pay for buildings or developing assets, the Government wants to see the money being used to deliver outcomes such as more young people and adults having the skills they need to find work and or more businesses starting up and staying in Margate.
The Fund is to support change in the town, but how it can be used is limited. It can only be used to support projects that connect with one of more of these three themes: Urban regeneration, planning and land use, Skills and enterprise infrastructure and Connectivity.
The Town Deal is an exciting opportunity to improve skills and transport links, create new jobs and regenerate Margate. The Fund will make a big difference, but it can’t be used for everything. The Government wants the investment to support the local economy to grow, benefitting local people and delivering a sustainable, greener future for the town.
The Town Fund will build on what makes Margate special and unique, and its impact should be felt by every member of the community. This is one of the reasons we want you to get involved and take part in community engagement events and activities. Find out more in the Have Your Say section below.
The Town Investment Plan will set out a vision for the future of Margate and how the funding will be used to support change.
We want the community to play a role in shaping this plan and the Government guidance emphasises the importance of getting local people involved. The more people we hear from while developing the Investment Plan, the better.
COVID-19 has impacted how we can talk to local people but we will be working hard to give you a chance to get involved and provide both online and socially distanced face to face opportunities. This website is where you can find out about how you can have your say.
- Complete an online questionnaire by Sunday 20 September. We have different versions so please select from the relevant link below.
If you need a hard copy, please email or call Sarah on 07951 384263 / research@pleydellsmithyman.co.uk
- Attend a community drop-in event:
- From 10am to 5pm on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September at the Dreamland Ballroom, Margate, CT9 1XJ
- From 3pm to 7pm on Monday 14 September in the Hall of the Cliftonville Community Centre, Cliftonville, CT9 2DB
Please be aware that this will be a socially distanced event so you may need to queue. Please wear protective masks and bring hand sanitiser.
- Join the conversation online – take part in a digital coffee morning, please click here to book a slot.
To complement the work with the community, there will be a programme of stakeholder engagement with community groups, local businesses and the third sector taking place during September. This will include socially distanced workshop sessions, digital engagement and online surgery sessions.
Margate Town Deal People’s Panel
This project will last five years and we’ll be talking to the community throughout the life of the Deal. One of the ways we’ll be doing this is by creating a Margate Town Deal People’s Panel. The group will be selected to reflect the local population and will come together on a regular basis to deliberate issues affecting the town, make recommendations and support the Town Board.
Members of the panel must meet all of the following criteria:
- Over 18 years of age
- Margate resident
- Not a member of decision making / strategic team at Thanet District Council or Kent County Council
- Not a political representative e.g. an MP, Councillor, Mayor or Charter Trustee
- Not a senior official at a community group of organisation or a Town Deal stakeholder
It is really important that the Panel is resentative of the community, so you will be asked to complete an Application Form that asks for details such as your gender, age and ethnicity. Within the demographic criteria, the membership of the panel will be selected at random.
To be on the Margate Town Deal People’s Panel Apply Here – The application form must be completed by 20 September and their first digital meeting will take place on Monday 5 October.
Permalink| Date of Meeting | Agenda | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 July 2020 | ||
| 15 May 2020 | ||
| 3 April 2020 | ||
| 6 March 2020 |
| Board Member | Registered Interests |
|---|---|
| Graham Razey OBE | Non Financial
As the Chief Executive Officer and Governor of EKC Group and as a Trustee (Director) ofEKC Schools Trust who may be involved in projects relating to skills and enterprise that the Board may consider. |
| Cllr Ruth Duckworth | None |
| Madeline Homer | To follow |
| Adam Bryan | None |
| Cllr Lesley Game | None |
| David Smith | https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/directors/david-smith |
| Sir Roger Gale | None |
| Cheryl Potts | None |
| Victoria Pomery | Financial Interest
Turner Contemporary is a charity and has received funding/support from TDC. The gallery is located on land that was originally owned by TDC. The Rendezvous site was gifted to KCC. Non Financial Turner Contemporary is a charity and has been a significant driver in the social and economic regeneration of Margate and East Kent. The gallery works closely with TDC and with Visit Thanet. Planning Application Turner Contemporary is making a planning application to site a temporary artwork in Ramsgate. |
| Eddie Kemsley | Financial Interest
Consequential to potential submissions; Operators of Dreamland Margate, Sands Heritage Ltd manages several properties in Margate under the ownership of affiliated Margate Estates Ltd. These properties are associated with and used for commercial use by Dreamland. These assets are likely to increase in number by the end of 2020. Non Financial Dreamland hosts and works with many strands of the local community, ranging through youth, LGBT+ and environmental organisations. Dreamland also works extremely closely with local and national tourist and travel organisations. |
| Richard Ash | Financial Interest Property Owner Margate Town Team Non Financial Lots of charity work |
| Nicky Bentley | To follow |
| Sam Causer | Financial Interest
Owns a house in Hawley Street, Margate Owns an Office building in Princes Street, Margate Owns and Direct architecture practice in Margate Non Financial My architecture practice has a number of active projects in Margate I am a member of the following groups active in the Margate area: Conservation Area Advisory Group; Margate Civic Society; Margate Coastal Park Advisory Group; SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings). I am an RIBA-accredited Conservation Architect, and as such am bound to act within the guidelines of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). Planning Application My architecture practice currently (April 2020) has only one live application for planning permission & Listed Building Consent in the Margate area |
| Stephen Darrer | Financial Interest
Clintonville Townhouse B&B |
| Jesse Tomlinson | None |
Below are a number of questions that we have been asked about the Margate Town Deal. You can also read the Towns Fund Guidance here and find out more at the Governments My Town portal.
How were the members of the Town Deal Board chosen?
The Government asked each of the Local Authorities responsible for the 101 towns across England to convene a Town Board, in Margate’s case this was Thanet District Council. The Towns Fund Guidance, from the Government, sets out the type of people and organisations that should be on the board including:
- The Local Council and other tiers of Local Government:
- Members of Parliament
- Local businesses and investors
- Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP)
- Representatives from the Community
Thanet District Council put out a job description for the role of Chair of the Town Deal Board, with Graham Razey OBE Chief Executive Officer for the EKC Group being appointed. In his role as Chair, Graham was responsible for bringing together the Board in line with the guidance and to ensure that the group represents the community and harnesses a diverse range of perspectives.
How is Thanet District Council involved in the Town Deal?
The Town Fund guidance sets out the “all Town Deal will need to have an Accountable Body which will be a council through which the funding will flow.” For the Margate Town Deal this role is fulfilled by Thanet District Council who, in accordance with the guidance, “have a set up the Board and take responsibility for ensuring that decisions are made in accordance with good governance principles.”
What is the Town Investment Plan?
The Town Fund asks the Board to work with the community and partners to develop a vision for the future of Margate. he Town Investment Plan is the roadmap for how the vision will be achieved and what impact it will have.
It will:
- Set out investment priorities that could drive economic growth, supported by clear evidence, building on the strengths and assets of the town
- Demonstrate how investment will be targeted into the economic infrastructure listed around the objective of the Fund
- Build on and add to existing partnerships and plans for the town, and complement pre-existing strategies such as Local Industrial Strategies, Skills Advisory Panel analysis, spatial strategies and local transport plans.
Why should I take part in community engagement? Haven’t the decisions already been made?
The Government wants to see a Town investment Plan that is based on a vision for the future that is shared with local people. We need to show that the Town Fund has been “developed with input from the community, who should feel a sense of ownership.” Community engagement will be a key part of the evidence that the Board and its partners will consider when developing the Town Investment Plan.
You put out a call for projects – what projects will receive funding?
The value of submissions received exceeded the £25 million potentially allocated to Margate so not all proposals will be successful. (We’ve told everyone who applied so they are aware). The submissions will be reviewed using a standard format to assess eligibility against the Government criteria and this process will be led by a panel, including representatives from the Margate Town Deal Board. Our aim is to feedback on the project proposals by 15 September 2020.
Everyone who has submitted a proposal will be informed as to whether they have been successful or not.
The successful projects that will be taken forward will be selected not just on whether they meet the Government’s criteria but also how they will deliver on the communities vision and priorities for the future and support the Town Investment Plan.
What are the timescales for the Fund?
Initial community and stakeholder engagement will be taking place throughout September 2020. An independent consultant will work on developing the Town Investment Plan which needs to be submitted to the Government at the end of October. The Government will then analyse the Town Investment Plan based on the impact it will have, the strength of the vision for the future, the strategy for delivering that vision and finally the strength of collaboration between the community, private sector and other local stakeholders. At this point, the Town Investment Plan will either pass to the second review stage or, if the Plan has not met the required standard, the Margate Town Deal Board will receive clear feedback and the chance to resubmit again at a later date.
The second stage of the review is focused on the project proposals put forward and this is when the Government will decide what amount of the £25 million will be allocated to Margate. At this point in the process, a Heads of Terms will be agreed – this is essentially the Town Deal. Following on from this, projects will be developed into detailed plans and business cases before the Government signs off on the final projects and funding. This process could take up to 12 months. Only at this point will funding be released and work on the projects themselves start.
Note: The Government, as the custodian of the Fund, sets the timeframes and key dates. The guidance does not specify, for example, how long they will take to review the Investment Plan.
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