COUNCIL PRIORITIES FOR NEXT YEAR UNVEILED

Supporting the Turner Contemporary and Margate Old Town, improving the housing market in Cliftonville and developing the new Ramsgate pool and spa are set to be key projects for the council over the next year.

The council’s Cabinet last night (Thursday 17 March) looked at plans for an Interim Corporate Plan, which sets out priorities for the next year.

The plan is divided up to into four themes – prosperity, place, people and performance - with different projects under each. Only projects which already have money allocated to them have been included in the plan. The projects include:

Producing and consulting on a Ramsgate Port Master Plan
Supporting Turner Contemporary and Margate Old Town
Securing funding and ownership of the Dreamland site through a Compulsory Purchase Order
Supporting the expansion of windfarm operations at the Port of Ramsgate
Starting work on the Margate flood defences
Improving the housing market in Cliftonville
Delivering 65 affordable homes in Thanet
Developing the new Ramsgate pool and spa
Supporting Oasis in establishing a one stop shop for victims of domestic abuse
Carrying out 10 Operation Cleansweeps
Delivering a balanced budget for 2012/13 and an indicative balanced medium term financial plan for 2012-16
Replacing the cremator furnace
Looking at the feasibility of starting a commercial waste collection

Corporate Resources Manager, Sarah Carroll, said: “This sets out our main goals and priorities for our residents over the next year. With all of them, we’ve already set aside money to ensure we can do what we’re promising, even in the current tough financial climate. Despite the economic situation, there’s still plenty for us to achieve in the next 12 months and much for residents to look forward to.”

The Interim Corporate Plan will now go forward to a meeting of full Council for approval. A new four year Corporate Plan, running from 2012 until 2016, will be developed over the next year.