Concerns over plans for green campus

Fears for a flagship council project at the Port of Ramsgate have been raised

Transcript

00:00A multi-million pound project to bring training, education and business opportunities in the

00:04maritime sector to Ramsgate. The Green Campus has £6 million worth of levelling up funding

00:10from the government. But there are now concerns that the building might sit empty with no

00:16public sector match funding so far, which was meant to be part of the bid.

00:22Neither you or I would go and sign a contract with a building company to come and make structural

00:28changes to our houses without actually having an idea of what those changes might be. And

00:33that's part of the frustration many of us have. Out of a budget of £50 million, at

00:37the moment we're looking at an empty tin shed with solar panels on the roof. I don't want

00:43to see us disadvantaged, I want to see £50 million spent to this community's advantage.

00:48It's understood the council will construct two blocks, with a third available for a maritime

00:53related business. But the local Regeneration Alliance says the project has a serious flaw.

00:58It doesn't have a business plan.

01:01In truth, I don't understand what the problem is, because it seems to me to be self-evident

01:05that you don't go and invest in something unless you know what the return on the investment

01:11is going to be. So, it's not build it and they'll come, it's build it and provide a

01:17complete management infrastructure to enable their businesses to grow and the hub as a

01:22whole to grow. So, what we miss at the moment in all of the data that I've seen so far is

01:29there actually is no business plan.

01:32In a statement, the local authority says they've had significant interest in the opportunity,

01:36which will contribute to match funding for the Green Campus programme. The council remains

01:41committed to engagement and collaboration with the local community. And I hope it will

01:47create a positive narrative that highlights the opportunities available in Ramsgate.

01:53Money from the government's levelling up fund is time limited, so the district council has

01:57to spend it by March 2026. The authority is now looking for a contractor to construct

02:03the site.

02:04Gabriel Morris, in Ramsgate.