Graham Razey steps down from role as Chair of Margate Town Deal Board

Graham Razey OBE

Margate Town Deal Board chairman Graham Razey OBE has stepped down from the role.

The Board was set up in February 2020  following an announcement that Margate was one of 101 towns earmarked for a share of a £3.6billion government fund .

Its purpose was to oversee the creation of a Town Investment Plan which was then put forward to government for Margate’s funding bid.

At this month’s Budget it was revealed that Margate is set to receive up to £22.2million of funding through the programme.

Yesterday (March 10) Mr Razey, who is chief executive of EKC (East Kent Colleges) announced his departure from the Board.

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.

Mr Razey 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.”

The Towns fund aims to support urban regeneration, skills development and improved connectivity.

Interim arrangements for chairing the Board are to be discussed. Details around the recruitment of a permanent chair will be publicised in due course.

3 Comments

  1. Wasted on private companies and strange projects such as Dreamland which was just sold off for peanuts by TDC. They will be pleased won’t they?

  2. Just read the exodus quotes from Graham Razey OBE.
    This is how a politician resigns, after he was the “Chairman”, but couldn’t even control who was put on the “Town Deal Board” next to him (Richard Ash), and provides quotes to a news paper to make it look like a good thing happened, because he has decided to use his “skills” elsewhere. Political Claptrap!
    “Spin” of the highest order of festering excreta. That’s my interpretation. Another perspective, is that he couldn’t control the selection of his own Board members sitting at his table, so his chances of controlling their antics and the historic “institutional corruption” were Nil ! So he ran away, instead of having any of that stick to him.
    Straight from the principals of “How to be a great manager”; “Promote it”, “sack it” or “run away from it”, but for gods sake don’t try and cure the problem in case it ruins you.

    Well done “Graham Razey OBE”, for a brilliantly well thought out leaving speech. You succeeded in being used and are nothing more than a disgrace, to have now woken up and run, from what you were told in the complaints sent to you. Then he tries to make it look like a good thing happened, under his Chairmanship? Well, I think we have all seen his political likes on television recently, a whole string of them. Pathetic spin doctors, but there is probably one good one among hundred. This isn’t him! Just another headline and title grabber.
    In the meantime, Margates’ wiser, ever suffering, residents and business owners, still have to put up with what Graham Razey OBE resigned from, “Madeline Homer” and her co-pilot (instigator of all things odd) solicitor “Time Howes” (who has also decided to suddenly lose himself). So here is your choice on the interpretation of this resignation of Graham Razey OBE; “I did so well controlling this Board, which has only just started doing anything and, undesirable members put on it that had nothing to do with me, that I’m off now to do something even more beneficial for Margate and Thanet now”. OR, in the alternative;
    “I discovered that I can’t control this level of “institutional corruption”, its going to stick, and make me look part of it and more stupid if I stay, so, I will resign and say this,… to the gullible, long standing sufferers of Margate, (who were at least intelligent enough to try and tell me)”. What a choice. What a hero!

    Sadly, he couldn’t lift the arrogance level enough to try and address a reply to the barrage of complaints that he was controlling nothing! “OBE” my backside, what a disgraceful embarrassment to resign and then insult the intelligence of other people with this political, nonsense at the same time.

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