Summary of Questions and Responses at the  Council meeting of  8 December 2022.

Questions from Councillors 

Question from Cllr Wing to Cllr Ashbee, Leader of the Council

The replacement for berths 4/5 has now been in place for a number of months and is clearly being used by Bretts but can you confirm, when will they be applying to KCC for the fitting of a conveyor system to ensure they can discharge both sand and aggregate from their vessels into their cement batching plant and aggregate business? The lease agreement TDC has with Bretts suggests at Part 4; Improvements, that this work should have been started and completed!

Response: 

To be updated following the meeting.

Question from Cllr Bailey to Cllr Kup, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Youth Engagement

‘The most consistent complaint I hear is regarding the condition and management of Thanet’s public toilets.
The Council’s 4-year Corporate Statement includes an objective to; –
“Undertake a full and thorough review of our public toilet facilities including providing incentives for businesses to make good quality facilities available to the public.”
To my knowledge, there have been toilet surveys; discussions with Town Councils; a Toilet Working Party and money allocated in the budget for toilet refurbishment.
I previously enquired about the outcome of the Toilet Working Party in July 2021 but I am still not aware of a published strategy.
With only a few months remaining, could you please update me on the progress of this corporate objective, is there a written strategy, what does it look like and when will it be implemented?’

Response:

To be updated following the meeting.

Question from Cllr Everitt to Cllr Jill Bayford, Cabinet Member for Housing

The recent tenant and leaseholder services performance report is creditable and shows that the service provided to tenants of our council housing has improved significantly since management of the stock was brought back in-house during the last Labour administration. Our officers and staff deserve credit for this. However, from my experience dealing with housing issues in Newington ward and other examples elsewhere, Orbit tenants are not so well served. 

Does the cabinet member share my concern about Orbit’s performance and particularly the difficulty its tenants seem to have getting a response when they raise issues? In the light of the tragic case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from the effects of mould in his housing association home in Rochdale, can she assure the council that nothing similar could happen in Thanet?  

Response:

To be updated following the meeting.

Question from Cllr Austin to Cllr Bob Bayford, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Special Projects

We all know waste management and recycling are challenging in Thanet. In Ramsgate we established a Litter Forum 5 years ago to link voluntary groups with TDC and RTC to improve street cleanliness and recycling rates.

We’ve consistently requested small street recycling bins, so were pleased in October to hear these would be installed across Thanet. We also heard with approval plans to remove large commercial bins from public areas to address the flytipping they always attract.

So when an army of new commercial-sized bins for both recycling and litter appeared without warning on Ramsgate’s streets recently in place of the small street recycling bins we’d been promised, we were understandably puzzled and disappointed.

We can only conclude that TDC policy on managing street waste has changed radically since October – for Ramsgate at least. Could Cllr Bayford please explain our current approach and the rationale for these recent changes?

Response: 

To be updated following the meeting.

Questions from Members of the Public

Question from Ms Gibson to Cllr Bob Bayford, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Special Projects

Hydrogen filling points are required in Thanet.  Hydrogen conversion is the affordable and speedy means for the most polluting vehicles (trucks and vans) to become carbon neutral and to help Thanet achieve its commitment to reduce carbon emissions.  For this to be feasible we need to have hydrogen filling points.  Can the council facilitate this asap?

Response:

To be updated following the meeting.

Question from Mr Clements to Cllr Ashbee, Leader of the Council

The Margate Winter Gardens closed in August 2022, this has been known about since December 2021. At Cabinet on 22/09/2022 we were told a timetable of actions were due to be issued soon, but there is still nothing on the TDC website about what will happen next. Can TDC confirm if the feasibility study has begun yet for the building?

Response:

To be updated following the meeting.

Question from Ms Cooper-Davis to Cllr Ashbee, Leader of the Council

Can the council leader reassure us that the humanity and safety needs of the Manston detainees will be the top priority when discussing this matter with local and national government?

Response:

To be updated following the meeting.

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