Changes to council portfolio

At a meeting of the council last night (Thursday 7 February) Council Leader Clive Hart announced that responsibility for economic development and regeneration would transfer from the portfolio of Community Services, held by Cllr Iris Johnston to the Leader of the Council. Councillor Johnston will continue in her role of Community Services portfolio holder, which includes tourism and community safety. She will also hold important roles associated with the new Health and Wellbeing Board and the Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel. Councillor Hart, who already advises and works on the strategic elements of economic development and regeneration, said: “This is a logical redistribution of responsibilities as it provides both of us with the opportunities to consolidate our work. In my case by bringing all of regeneration within my remit I shall be able to provide for greater integration of all projects concerned with economic development and regeneration.” Cllr Iris Johnston added: “The move enables me to allocate the time required to establish the work of the proposed Thanet Health and Wellbeing Board. This will cover elements from housing right through to the effects of air pollution and is especially important given that TDC is having to take on an increasing amount of work which was previously the domain of other agencies. “As a member of the Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel I shall be working with our new Police Commissioner Ann Barnes but there is also the opportunity to extend our community safety work. We already have the Margate Task Force as a fine example, incorporating 14 different agencies in providing an integrated approach to improving the living environment of one of our most challenged areas. “I believe that both my new fields are complementary to each other tying in as they do with the evolving Community Safety Plan and overlapping with my other role as Cabinet Member for community safety.