Independent Councillors Pauline Farrance and Candy Gregory, who both represent Salmestone Ward, have this week joined with the Thanet Green group of councillors at Thanet council, expanding the group to 6 members at district council.
This move means the group will gain more committee places and be able to exert more influence on decisions.
Leader of the Green Group Cllr Mike Garner said: “Over the last few months, we have worked closely with Cllrs Farrance and Gregory on a number of campaigns, including against overdevelopment in Thanet, and we felt it was a logical move to come together and increase our influence at the council.”
The councillors, who were both Labour Party representatives before going independent, say their bid to save farmland from development has most noticeably been supported by Thanet Greens.
In a joint statement about the alliance the pair said: “This is a very positive move for us and, more importantly, our residents. As non-aligned Independent Councillors, we were not allowed to join any committees or cabinet advisory groups where we could have made a difference to policies affecting residents of Thanet.
“The Green group of councillors have stood out as the Party who are more actively campaigning to save our food-producing fields, and we valued their support throughout the long and arduous campaign to Save our Shottendane fields from development.
“TDC must concentrate on finding more brownfield sites and works towards utilising all the empty properties in Thanet, before granting planning permission for any more developments for thousands more houses.”
Thanet has 56 councillors. The political composition is now: 26 Conservative; 16 Labour; 6 Thanet Independents; 6 Green group and 2 Independents.
