Meet Councillor Rosanna Taylor-Smith

Rosanna Taylor-Smith – Cabinet Member for Operational Services

Councillor Rosanna Taylor-Smith has been a TDC Councillor since May 2015. She was first elected in 2006 in Shropshire where she served for 7 years at town, district and county level. Her first success was as a result of a local anti-litter campaign. Rosanna’s Portfolio area includes waste & recycling, street-scene enforcement including fly-tipping, parking enforcement, car parks, Crematorium and cemeteries, parks and open spaces and public conveniences.

At full Council on 12th April, Rosanna replied to a question from Councillor Messenger as follows:-

“I welcome your question and I am happy to endorse your suggestion that TDC works towards a PLASTIC FREE COASTLINE and I hope that when I bring back to Council our approach in due course, all Members will support it. We will have to wait and see what the Government proposals are on plastics. Members may be aware that TDC is supporting the Surfers Against Sewage plastic free coastline campaign and several of you joined the beach clean last weekend in Margate.”

TDC are also aiming to adopt a one use plastic policy by 2020 and are currently looking at replacing plastic cups with paper or biodegradable cups as soon as possible.

The new Conservative Leader Councillor Bob Bayford said in the Thanet Gazette on 13th April 2018 “I am sure the will to beat the blight of litter exists, both in the community and the council. Together we will do it.”

TDC have been working hard to create a deterrent against littering.

Thirty-four people who failed to pay a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for littering in Thanet have been taken to court by Thanet District Council. The prosecutions were brought in front of Canterbury Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 20 February and Tuesday 13 March.

The prosecutions, which were for non-payment of FPNs for littering and spitting offences, are a clear signal of the council’s zero tolerance approach and its determination to push for further penalties in the event of non-payment.

Rosanna intends to focus on initiatives to keep Thanet clean and tidy and is grateful to all the individuals, groups and societies who work so hard to improve their local areas including A Better Cliftonville (ABC), Broadstairs Town Team, Margate Town Team, Ramsgate Town Team and Westgate Against Rubbish (WAR) to name a few.

Rosanna says “I believe our main emphasis should be on working with Parish and Town Councils, community and voluntary groups as well as many individuals, to tackle the litter in our District. We as a Council cannot do it alone and we need to work as a team. Fortunately we have some very passionate and driven individuals here in Thanet who share the same goals, so I am confident that with our combined effort, Thanet will be an even better place in which to live and work.”

Watch out for next month when we will be reporting on another Cabinet Member and their portfolio