Purpose

This report presents the robust governance operational framework and accountable body management arrangements established by Thanet District Council for the £20 million Ramsgate Pride in Place Programme (PiPP), funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). It seeks approval for a decision-making framework covering the first Investment Period (1 April 2026 – 31 March 2030) to enable delegated authority to the Chief Executive for managing remaining operational funding allocations.

Decision

Cabinet agreed the following recommendations, to:

1. Approve the decision-making framework for the first Investment Period (1 April 2026 - 31 March 2030) of the Pride in Place Programme to support timely decision making;
2. Delegate authority for operational funding allocations and specific decision notices within the first Investment Period to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Legal Monitoring Officer;
3. Note that all delegated decisions will remain subject to strict legal, financial, procurement, and subsidy control compliance under the oversight of the Council's statutory officers;
4. The project team provides a six-monthly update alongside the Regeneration Programme Update. This will include existing the published information from the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board.

Reasons for the decision

Thanet District Council is the legal and financial Accountable Body for the £20 million Pride in Place Programme allocation for Ramsgate. To satisfy government expectations for prompt delivery while upholding the highest standards of financial stewardship, public law compliance, and Nolan Principles, a streamlined decision-making framework is required. Delegating operational funding decisions for the first Investment Period to the Chief Executive (in consultation with statutory officers) establishes operational agility, avoiding perceived project-by-project Cabinet approval delays, while preserving full statutory compliance and audit assurance.

Alternative options considered

Individual Cabinet approval for every operational spend over £140,000 was rejected because submitting multiple individual reports to formal Cabinet cycles creates avoidable delivery delays and administrative bottlenecks, contrary to central government expectations.

Fully transfer accountable body functions to an external third party was rejected because no external entity possesses the required capability or capacity, and ultimate statutory liability for public money management cannot be transferred away from the local authority.