Margate Town Deal board members for ‘£25 million’ regeneration project announced

Plans for Margate

The members of a new Town Deal Board created by Thanet council following an announcement that the town was one of 101 earmarked for a share of a £3.6billion government fund have been revealed.

In September, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) announced Margate was in the running for up to £25million to drive economic development, focusing on urban regeneration, improved transport, better broadband connectivity, skills and culture.

As part of this, the council has set up the new board to set out a vision for the town’s economic growth, coordinate resources and engage with a variety of stakeholders.

The Board will be tasked with producing an evidence based Town Investment Plan by the summer of 2020.

The members are:

  • Madeline Homer, Thanet District Council
  • Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Thanet District Council
  • Sam Causer, Studio Sam Causer
  • Liz Shutler, Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital
  • MP Sir Roger Gale
  • Graham Razey OBE, East Kent College
  • Adam Bryan, South East Local Enterprise Partnership
  • Victoria Pomery OBE, Turner Contemporary
  • Eddie Kemsley, Dreamland
  • Richard Ash, Margate Town Team
  • Graham Ralph, Jobcentre Plus
  • Kent County Council representatives
  • Community representative to be recruited

The Council is currently recruiting for a Chair for the Town Deal Board.

The Board meets for the first time on Friday, March 6 and the agenda and minutes will be published online.

Details also due to be published include the board structure and how capacity funding will be spent.

The Towns Fund is to boost places that have proud industrial and economic heritage but have not always benefited from economic growth in the same way as more prosperous areas.

Communities, businesses and local leaders are expected to create plans to transform economic growth prospects with a focus on improved transport, broadband connectivity, skills and culture.

A public Margate Millions meeting will also be held at Cliftonville Community Centre, St Paul’s Road, Cliftonville, today (February 27) from 7.30pm-9.30pm.

The event is free but has limited capacity. Tickets can be booked at  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/margates-millions-tickets-9651…

The Margate Millions event has been organised by A Better Cliftonville, the Grotto Hill Area Street Scheme, the Gordon Road Area Street Scheme, the Athelstan Road Tenants and Residents Association and the Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group.

A statement on behalf of Madeline Homer and council leader Rick Everitt in response to a letter from community groups about the fund says: “We are keen to maximise community involvement and create the most compelling Town Investment Fund possible. We look forward to working with yourselves on plans for long term economic growth.

“Margate has a strong heritage and sense of place which the Board can utilise to help attract business and private investment. Like you, we are keen to ensure that funding is spent in a way that will address growth constraints for the town, thus making a tangible difference to the communities it is intended to benefit.”

25 Comments

  1. £10k a year for the chairman
    Lets not hope Ms Homer it is not Debra Upton
    With prosecution against all 4 CEOs and those over payments
    Over 700 homes are still without Asbestos certificates
    GAS… LAUGHING no she needs to leave and take her pals
    Also all those listed at companies House… Councilor MF and G hang your heads in shame
    An arms length to over pay Debra Upton

    • Stay away from it. That’s what’s best for the residents in Margate.

      Last thing they need is a councillor who can’t council and promises false hope to people to get elected, to be on such a board about Margate future. Let others deal with this and just maybe, it will succeed.

      • “A community representative to be recruited to the board”?

        “A’ as in singular? Good luck to the poor sod who has to fight as the sole community rep on a board with Gale, Homer, Duckworth, KCC, SELEP, Turner Contemporary, Dreamland and co.

        What happened to letting communities decide? Gale might want to have a word with Boris and remind himself of this key part of the Queen’s Speech when his Boss announced his priorities for the new government:

        “My government will give communities more control over how investment is spent
        so that they can decide what is best for them.”

        That was in December 2029. Less than 2 months later and it already looks like giving communities control is about as likely to happen as Margate ever actually seeing any of this fantasy £25m.

  2. I really hope that Barry Lewis is no where near this, and has no input in any decision making. He needs to stay away from it and for others manage this.

    Yes, that includes you Marva.

    If the right people are appointed, then this will be good for margate.

    • What a very strange person “The Box”is. Who on earth does he think I am? At least I use my own name instead of a pseudonym. I don’t know anything about this regeneration plan for Margate AND I DON’T KNOW BARRY LEWIS.

      • Sounds more like a tart than someone with Hart
        None of those listed care a shit about us
        Shut the stroke unit
        Dreamland has had enough money thrown at the elephants
        So did that white piece of £20 plus million and it’s shite
        We only got extra cleaners because money came to us to keep it clean
        Dreamland what a farce
        Thanet Council had a debt owing to them because two ex rowers of the England team ex offshore leaks deutsche bank
        So you can sod off you are not wanted here
        Ruining my life for years
        And SELEP IS THE NEW SEEDA and you have given loads to an ex councilor which Thanet Council wiped off the debt for her £67k but will sell off assets because £30million in debt
        Sod off town team you two got given money from the portas pilot scheme but it failed and now we another charity shop
        Dreamland was given 3 years free lease and no bills
        Yet they bought Nayland Rock
        Never had a feckn business did sands
        Woolworth was given kcc money and looks shite despite it being a school

        CEO loves to pay out unofficial payments to P and R and now Gascall
        Residents have no asbestos certificates
        CEO failed the gas safety certificates no one over saw the firm doing their job money paid out to an ex fraudster… You are none worthy

        Shame on anyone associated with the council

  3. As you see i have not been approached by madaline homer to be on the board, i wish the board all the best and hope Margate residents as well as big businesses see some of the money.

  4. Oh, what a surprise not, there are a few controversial people elected to this group that shouldn’t be, it is not looking good for Margate now. Can someone please tell the MP for Manston that this money is to be spent on improving Margate, not to be wasted on his pet project and best business buddy. I can’t see, after some of them hand in their expenses and other extra costs, there will be much left over to actually spend on anything. It will all be squandered away quietly. It would have made much better sense to deal directly with the residents of Margate and Cliftonville asking them what needs doing. Again, a chance of a brighter future is wasted on some of these guys.

    • Because it doesn’t actually exist. It’s the same wheeze as those “40 new hospitals” ….£150k seed money for 100 towns with a big imaginary carrot dangled in front of them

  5. Are these paid positions? I hope not.
    There are plenty of hard working, community spirited Margate people that would gladly give there time, free of charge. Then Margate would get more benefits.

  6. No money should be given to them
    When they put lives at risks and face prosecution
    And any debts they make like dreamland we have paid over and over again
    You lost against JG how much did that cost
    Thousands
    Go to jail do not pass go or collect £200.
    Margate has had money
    Ramsgate
    Broadstairs
    What is there to show

    And you invest pension funds to make a profit on your money I think not thanet officers

    How much debt was held in secret for animal abuse criminals not settled in court and its your Tart the Hart and ex officers who broke the law and made us sink more and more into debt

    Margate is grotty
    You landbanked land with Savills at wwx
    You sold land to Dover District Council
    Your deal with Barbara Kahan estate agents
    Or ones that never existed at companies House for over 20 years

    Leave this town if your interest dear council and officers is purely for financial gain

  7. With so many negative comments. I am shocked. Left Thanet many years ago.obviously something very wrong for these comments. I did some digging and its not good.

  8. So glad Sam Causer is involved. He had some great architectural ideas for Margate which were ignored at the time. Many of the rest are the usual suspects. ..

Comments are closed.