Campaigners are slamming a 'secretive and crazy' project to expand and install new industrial berths for commercial shipping at the Port of Ramsgate.

Only a few weeks ago, Thanet District Council - which owns and runs the port - slashed funding for the port spelling the end for a return of a ferry service in a budget which included £1.1 million for a project to replace berths at the harbour.

Councillors also agreed to spend around £40,000 on commissioning a feasibility study to explore options to build a new maritime village with housing, hotels, restaurants and upgrading the Royal Harbour marina.

But this latest scheme involves spending £1.1m to replace berths four and five with a new conveyor system expanding capacity for landing bulk cargo for the next 30 years, used by Ashford-based company Brett Aggregates.

The Ramsgate Action Group (RAG) claims the plans were drawn up in secret after a contract tender was posted by TDC on the Kent Business Portal website with councillors left in the dark.

But Thanet council says the work will not increase activity at the port adding it is following legal obligations and rejecting suggestions the plans have been carried out behind closed doors.

A spokesman said: "This has nothing to do with any increase of activity at the port.

"Berth 4/5 is provided as part of the council's lease agreement with Brett for the importation of aggregates only.

"As the tenant, Brett has the right to berth in connection with the permitted use and the council must ensure they are given access as and when they require to use it.

"The council’s obligations under the lease are to keep the structure in reasonable condition and ensure the council can provide access at all times, the present berth is coming to the end of its operational life so we have to invest in the berth.

"The budget for this revised project has been allocated in the 2019/20 financial year for capital replacement works. The approval for this capital project and spend went through our normal budgeting process."

The council says members had four chances to raise concerns and scrutinise the budget in January and February.

"Councillors had opportunity through this process to challenge this project, any issues that were raised were dealt with and the budget/project approved," the council added.

Construction is scheduled to begin on May 1 with work aiming to be completed by the middle of October.

Steve Coombes, RAG chairman, says he believes the plan is a waste of taxpayers' money on a business proposal which has not been costed properly.

He said: "It’s Seaborne Freight mark two. Less than a week after finally accepting the Seaborne Freight ferry proposal was dead in the water, senior officers at TDC have embarked on another even crazier project for the port of Ramsgate.

"And once again, the Corporate Management Team is trying to do it in secret, using no hard figures, with no credible or viable business plan and at huge cost to the council taxpayers of Thanet."

Mr Coombes says several councillors and prospective candidates seeking election in May have been kept in the dark regarding the authority's plans - despite the money allocated in the budget.

He adds that councillors were reportedly told the money set aside in TDC's capital spending was "merely indicative" and the council would be informed if any moves were made to spend money on the port.

A tender was published on March 7 - a week after the budget was passed - calling for bids from consultants to establish the options and plan and design the scheme and a build contract.

The plans have been condemned across the political spectrum with Conservatives, Labour, independent and Green councillors and candidates all saying there has been no communication from council management about implementing the plan.

John Davis, the Conservative candidate for Ramsgate's Central Harbour Ward says the scheme "flies in the face of the leader's [Bob Bayford] announcement of the long-awaited feasbility study into the appropriate regeneration of the port".

"[It] cannot be allowed to do so, particularly at huge expense to local tax-payers," he added.

Stuart Piper, leader of the Thanet Independents group, said: "This invitation appears to have been put just four working days after the Budget was approved so clearly it was known about by some officers but not deemed necessary for member involvement.

"I believe that a start date of May 1 is entirely inappropriate given the elections the following day and the fact that the incoming councillors will have absolutely no knowledge of the forward plan."

Steve Albon, the Labour candidate for Ramsgate's East Cliff Ward, says he is opposed to "any further industrialised use of the port or harbour" calling for residents to have their say on any further uses of the port.

Ambitious plans to redvelop Ramsgate port were endorsed by Thanet council leader Bob Bayford after meeting with consultants last year who proposed developing a concept design.

RAG published its vision for a complete overhaul and regeneration of the harbour area.

Council officers and Cllr Bayford met with MDL Marina Consultancy in Southampton with the company offering its services and submitting a 56-page report to the council last June.

But the council continued to hold out for a ferry service until this week when it finally committed to developing a masterplan for the port and set aside money for an appraisal.

Mr Coombes said: "A crucial component of this proposal was an independent and costed analysis of all possible options for the future of the port, carried out by proven experts to allow a newly elected council to take open, transparent and rational decisions about the future of the port of Ramsgate.

"Sadly, this feasibility study has been ready to go since June 2018, but for whatever reason, the Corporate Management Team has refused to commission it or put it to tender."

RAG is calling into question the council's strategy saying the authority has been subsidising Brett operations at the port for the last three years after spending £1.1m to carry out emergency repairs in 2016.

Mr Coombes says it is "not clear why this should be a TDC obligation".

Brett has been asked to comment.

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