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Thanet Regeneration Partnership Board

Prior to Christmas 2023 the council received notification that the proposed Investment Plan, as part of the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot, had been approved by Ministers. This was welcome news, and a new Regeneration Partnership Board has been set up, to provide the council with oversight on the delivery of the regeneration projects across the district including the Ramsgate Levelling Up, Margate Levelling Up, Margate Town Deal and Future High Street Fund.

Agendas and minutes of the meetings will be published, with any other relevant documents and links. The first Partnership Board meeting is on 1 March, 2024.

The members of the Thanet Regeneration Partnership Board are:

  • Brian Horton – Director, Horton Strategic and Chair of the Thanet Regeneration Partnership Board
  • Polly Billington – Member of Parliament for East Thanet
  • Chris Butler – Managing Director, Thanet Earth
  • Zoë Carassik – Chief Executive Officer, Pie Factory Music
  • Colin Carmichael – Chief Executive, Thanet District Council
  • Cllr Ruth Duckworth – Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property, Thanet District Council
  • Cllr Rick Everitt – Leader of the Council, Thanet District Council 
  • Lesley Game – Thanet County Councillor, Kent County Council
  • Cllr David Green – Ramsgate Town Councillor, Ramsgate Town Council
  • Frank Martin – Director, Locomotive Storage Limited
  • Bob Porter – Director of Place, Thanet District Council 
  • Rebecca Smith – Chief Executive Officer, Social Enterprise Kent CIC
  • Cllr Rob Yates – Mayor of Margate, Margate Charter Trustees

The role of the Town Deal Board is to:

  • Uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life (the Nolan Principles)
  • Oversee delivery of the government funded projects ensuring the accountable body is in compliance with government agreements;
  • Maintain commercial confidentiality where required;
  • Working together – Board Members should take collective responsibility for how they are performing, and may discuss improvement actions they could take;
  • Identify additional and appropriate opportunities to service the interests of the delivery of the externally funded programmes;
  • Bring other perspectives constructively to the discussion;
  • Where relevant, support with their own skills and connections;
  • Through their oversight mitigate any risks, particularly financial, legal and reputational; and
  • Ensure all publicity rules and obligations are met including the government’s requirements for branding and recognition.
Name Registered Interests
Brian Horton Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial

  • Director at Horton Strategic working as a housing and regeneration consultant with clients and associates that have previously or currently been active in Thanet: http://hortonstrategic.com/
  • Retained Strategic Housing Advisor to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP).
  • Advisory roles currently on the following:
    • Opus Works – Land, Planning and Housing Development Consultancy
    • Jamie Copland – Planning applications – The Royal, Ramsgate/Bed
    • Centre/Lobster – Belgrave Road, Margate
    • Riverside Housing – Planning Application – Westwood Village
  • Owns a residential property in Birchington.

Planning Application

  • Director at Horton Strategic working as a housing and regeneration consultant, having provided advice on planning applications in Thanet.
Chris Butler Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • None
Zoë Carassik Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • Trustee of Ark (Cliftonville Cultural Space)
Colin Carmichael Financial Interest

  • Interim Chief Executive of Thanet District Council

Non Financial

  • None

Colin is currently a Trustee of The Marlowe Theatre Trust and Canterbury Festival Trust. He is also a Member of the Council of the University of Kent.

Cllr Ruth Duckworth Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • None
Cllr Rick Everitt Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • Newington ward councillor
Lesley Game Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • None
Cllr David Green Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • None
Frank Martin Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • Project Director – The One:One Collection Museum, Margate
Bob Porter Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • None
Rebecca Smith Financial Interest

  • Social Enterprise Kent CIC (SEK) is a social enterprise and has received funding/support from TDC through contracts successfully bid through a competitive procurement process.

Non Financial Interest

  • Social Enterprise Kent CIC is a social enterprise and an active part of the Voluntary, Social Enterprise and Charity (VCSE) sector. 
  • SEK has offices in Margate and Ramsgate and runs programmes supporting VCSE organisations and individuals within the Thanet community.  
  • SEK represents the VCSE sector on several Boards, including East Kent NHS related boards.
Cllr Rob Yates Financial Interest

  • None

Non Financial Interest

  • None

 

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Thanet Regeneration Partnership Board Bio’s

Brian Horton Chair of Margate Town Deal board
Brian Horton

Brian has over 35 years of professional experience in the Housing and Development sector and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Brian is the Director at Horton Strategic a housing, development and regeneration consultancy working independently and collaboratively to provide specialist strategic advice to clients in the public, private and third sector.

Brian is a Board Member at Gravesend Churches Housing Association and ABC Property Limited, Co-opted Member Kent Housing Group Executive Board, Board Member Turner Contemporary and recently stood down as Chair of the Margate Town Deal Board.

Prior to setting up Horton Strategic, Brian worked as Strategic Housing Advisor to Kent County Council, Chief Executive of Swale Housing Association and as Executive Director Kent for AmicusHorizon (now Southern Housing). He previously held positions at Thanet District Council, English Churches Housing Group (now Riverside), the Corporation of London and Wandsworth Borough Council.

In his consultancy work Brian works with a number of organisations to promote the delivery of housing and encourage good growth, working in partnership to engage with central government and Homes England to accelerate housing delivery and regeneration across the wider South East.

Brian is increasingly working with colleagues in the housebuilding industry and is an enthusiastic advocate for the business needs of the development sector with a particular focus on our small and medium-sized enterprises.

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Chris Butler

Chris has been the Managing Director, Executive Board Member and Statutory Director at Thanet Earth since 2019, he is responsible for the day to day operations and setting the strategic direction for the business. Chris has spent the last 25 years in the produce industry previously working for Fresca, one of the main shareholders in the Thanet Earth project, which saw Chris in senior leadership roles across various fresh produce categories working with primary producers and supply chains across the globe supplying into the UK. 

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Zoë Carassik

Zoë Carassik is CEO of Pie Factory Music, a music and youth work charity based in a busy youth centre in Ramsgate, East Kent. With a background in community music engagement and music education, Zoë’s work has predominantly focused on supporting social justice causes and has taken her from immigration removal centres, women’s refuges and community centres to world-class cultural institutions and strategic charitable organisations. 

Zoë is a passionate advocate for young people’s rights, ensuring young people are front and centre of the cultural regeneration of Thanet and other areas of high deprivation.

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Biography to come

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Cllr Lesley Game
Cllr Lesley Game

Kent County Councillor since 2016 representing Cilftonville, Kingsgate and Beacon Road.  Chairman, Health Reform and Public Health Cabinet Committee; Thanet Local Children’s Partnership.

Governor Bradstow School and Laleham Gap School

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Colin Carmichael Photo
Colin Carmichael

Colin was born in Hampstead, north London, and spent a lot of his early local government career working for his ‘home’ council, the London Borough of Camden. He has always enjoyed working in the general locality where he lives.

In 1996 Colin became Chief Executive at Canterbury City Council. In that capacity he was very involved with the Council’s projects for regenerating Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay. He also worked with neighbouring Councils including Thanet, on the broader growth of East Kent. He left Canterbury in March 2022. When the opportunity to become the Interim Chief Executive at Thanet arose soon after, it seemed natural to take that on. The issues – and opportunities – facing Thanet are very similar to those in Canterbury.

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Cllr Rick Everitt - Leader - Labour

Newington ward councillor (2019-), Eastcliff ward councillor (2011-15).

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Cllr Ruth Duckworth
Cllr Ruth Duckworth

My name is Ruth Duckworth and I represent Dane Valley Ward. I decided to become a Councillor because I think it is one of the best ways of contributing to the community and improving things.  I sit on the Planning and Standards committees. I also sit on the Millmead Children’s Centre board. I think that investing in children is one of the most important things we can do. If we can give a child a sense of being part of society, it  will stand them, and society, in good stead for years to come.

I have had many jobs in both the public and private sector, which has given me a broad understanding of the things that affect people. I am passionate about injustice, and will always be a voice for fairer systems, so that everyone can feel that they have something to contribute to society as well as mutually benefitting from it. 

As a Cabinet member I am responsible for Economic Development and Tourism. Tourists want similar things to residents in terms of clean streets and interesting things to do

 

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Cllr David Green

HND Chemistry Oxford Brooks 

Senior Research Officer, Medical Research Council IT Technical Officer, Clarendon Grammar School 

Thanet District Councillor

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Frank Martin

Frank was born in Manchester and attended Manchester University. He holds a B.Sc. Hons. in Management Sciences, A Certified Diploma in Marketing and a Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance. He holds an Honorary Doctorate from Canterbury Christ Church University. 

Frank spent his full-time working life in Marketing and General Management of branded consumer goods businesses.

He has lived and worked in a number of different industries located around the UK. He has been resident in Thanet since 2002. He retired from full time employment in 2013. Since then, the voluntary and Non-Executive roles he has held have been heavily involved in the development and delivery of strategic infrastructure projects.   

Frank is currently a Director of Locomotive Storage Limited, creating a museum of full size railway locomotives and associated memorabilia on the old Hornby site at Margate. He is also Vice Chair of Royal British Legion Industries, a Non-Executive Director of the Royal Temple Yacht Club, and a member of Kent Charity Mentors. 

Previously Frank was Chief Executive of Hornby Plc between 2001 and 2013, a Non Executive Director and latterly Deputy Chair of Dover Harbour Board 2013-2020, and Governor, Chair of Governors and latterly Pro Chancellor, Canterbury Christ Church University 2010 -2021. 

Frank has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent since 2005. He lives in Broadstairs and is married to Stephanie. They have 2 adult daughters and 4 grandchildren.

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Bob Porter

Bob is responsible for a broad range of services at Thanet District Council in his role as Director of Place, including Housing, Planning, Regeneration and Growth and Property.

Bob has worked in local government for over 40 years and is a chartered housing professional. He has  extensive experience of working with social landlords, developers and other public and voluntary sector services.

Bob has previously led regeneration partnerships in East Kent with a focus on community capacity, skills development and employment opportunities.

 

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Rebecca Smith

Rebecca has worked in strategic roles within the Kent and Medway Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector for 20 years, and has been CEO of Social Enterprise Kent (SEK) since 2023.   

She is passionate about social enterprise, communities and empowering people.  With a MA in HR Business Partnership, a postgraduate diploma in management, and an adult teaching qualification, Rebecca loves learning and is hugely passionate about harnessing people’s potential.   

Social Enterprise Kent supports other social enterprises and charities to help them grow and develop – whether that be through training, business support, mentoring or funding.  Additionally, SEK supports individuals in local communities through wellbeing programmes designed to keep people fit and healthy – both physically and mentally.  For example, SEK was the lead provider for the hugely successful 7-year Ageless Thanet programme that engaged over 9000 Thanet residents, 400 local businesses, and supported a huge range of VCSE organisations.

As one of the larger VCSE organisations in Kent, SEK applies for large contracts and grants that smaller, grass-roots social enterprises cannot, and disseminates this money out to the sector.  This equated to over £1m in money out to the sector in 2022/23, and will be even more in 2023/24.        

With premises in Margate and Ramsgate, SEK is proudly rooted in the Thanet community, and Rebecca is honoured to represent the wider VCSE sector on this Board.  

 

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Cllr Robert Yates

Rob has spent 13 years working in the UK’s renewables industry, with five of those years at London Array offshore wind farm based in Ramsgate. His role within the wind industry focused on commercial project management and contract management, as well as connecting the wind farm with the local community. In 2019 he was elected as a Councillor for Margate central, later becoming Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and has proposed three budgets for Thanet District Council. In 2023 he was elected as Mayor of Margate, which coincided with him taking time out from his wind farm career.

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Information about the former Margate Town Deal Board can be found here.

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