Plans for £191k ‘Welcome Back’ funding for Thanet revealed

Welcome Back campaign (Image TDC)

Signage, temporary traffic measures, litter stations and additional cleansing are some of the areas that £191,456 of government funding for Thanet will be spent on.

The cash, from the government Welcome Back fund, is aimed at helping high streets reopen and attract shoppers and tourists.

It is part of a wider package of measures to revitalise high streets and level up communities – including steps to make it easier for venues to serve customers outdoors and set up market stalls this Summer.

Councils can use the funding to hold street markets and festivals, boost the look and feel of their high streets, with more seating areas and street planting, tackle graffiti, and install new signage to help keep people safe as restrictions are lifted.

Each local authority allocated funding is required to submit an Action Plan for approval, which outlines proposed activities and how the funding will be spent.

Thanet council’s Action Plan was submitted on June 8.

It was agreed by council members that £65,000 of the funding, which was specifically allocated to Thanet for being a coastal resort, will be used to bolster the  existing Beach Management Plan.

A time limit of the end of March 2022 is set for the money to be spent but it is expected that most of the spend will happen in the first few months this summer when large numbers of visitors are likely to come to Thanet.

The overview of how the grant will be spent is:

Signage and communication activity  – £30,956

Temporary traffic measures (including road closures and parking bay suspensions to aid social distancing)  – £10,000

Direct local business support – £30,000 (including continuation of our external Business Support Consultant)

Management, claiming, monitoring and evaluation of the fund – £23,000

Footfall and spend data – £10,500 (this is a requirement)

Planting and maintenance – £22,000

Allocation to Beach Management Plan – £65, 000 (activities identified include; additional cleansing, beach safety signage, litter stations, cameras and public messaging)

The funding cannot be claimed until grant agreements are signed.

Thanet District Council is one of 70 councils across England that will get additional  support through the new High Streets Taskforce, a group of high streets experts who will visit the area to provide advice on how to adapt to changing consumer demands.

Ramsgate Town Council has offered to match fund any money coming to the town for planting although is yet to receive a response.

Thanet to receive £191k government funding to help high streets reopen

16 Comments

  1. There are a big lack of differnt types of shops in margate high street sorry but a few bins and tgat wobt naje any difference. Have thought for long time since overheard z conversation on ghe bus that a group of people came down from London asked where the town was and were annoyed to find if they wanted a good selection of shops they need go get bus to westwood who wants go lug kids and bags up ghere. They need to entice new shops with lower rent. Yes needs to be tidy but bins wont make our high street good.

  2. Surely you’ve published this before Kathy?
    Ramsgate Town Council has offered to match fund any money coming to Ramsgate for planting. So far, no response from TDC.

    • I published that TDC would get the grant, not the breakdown of how it was being spent. I’ll add the RTC line

    • It’s funny how Ramsgate town council can find money to match for planting, but can’t find the money for a referendum over Manston ,RTC are currupt,

  3. The percentage committed to management costs is to high. £23k to allocate, monitor and evaluate the spending of £191 is far too big a budget.

  4. And if you include the data requirements as part of the management costs (you can’t evaluate without data) then the total management spend is £33,500. Nearly one fifth of the budget.

    • …and add in ‘continuation of our external Business Support Consultant’ – then take out the stuff they should be doing already……
      Smoke and mirrors again from TDC – already one of the highest management cost councils in the country (Local Govt Assn data) – they must think we’re stupid?

  5. People visiting our seaside towns do not know what a rubbish bin looks like, I have witnessed it myself a couple of weeks ago when a group of youngsters bought drink took the cardboard wrapping off and even though the bin was arms length away still left the wrapping on the floor.No matter what we do or how much money we get there will always be rubbish left around by visitors so suggest you put money towards something more worthy – like struggling families and the lifeboats,air ambulance.etc

  6. We all know the money spent won’t go on anything good, just tdc trying to look as if there doing something, lost in administration and back handers. Same as before and before and before

  7. Typical TDC. Allocate as much external funding as possible to prop up existing spend and staff salaries. I agree with the previous comment. £23k to monitor a fund which is worth less than £200k is outrageous and I’m amazed that the elected members haven’t queried it.

    • I think there are too many elected members who regard being elected as their objective rather than it being a route to responsibility to do some work and get officers to do the ‘right thing’ for Thanet.
      The planning committee pushed back on the 450 houses proposals, let’s see who wins that tussle – the committee or the officers who recommended the dreadful offer be accepted.

  8. Thanet needs to update it’s car parking signage. All car parks need to have a name and the number of spaces available at each. Also electronic boards showing how many spaces are available or if a car park is full. This makes it easier for visitors to know where to go rather than driving around and causing traffic problems. So many other places have this electronic system in place, but as usual, TDC is years behind.

  9. Just a figure if speech!

    How strange other areas are being considered to merge into one, and it would make sense for tdc to merge that would take the pressure off to structuralize the pivotal deprivation and poverty in the area, look at the statistics over the years and the dramatic decline without a safety net it’s proven to be a failure and a plan is needed to contribute to the economy and will benefit in the long run and any investment would pay off, and not like as if any profit and funding offered would be likely turned away by tdc, like if the 1960s London monolith Arlington house was offered a regeneration plan to modernize it then it would still be a listed London marketing asset if it was refurbished more money could be made from it than the silly amount tit for tat it’s worth now 😩 it’s clearly outdated!!

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