‘Forget Dreamland and stop living in the past’
THANET council unveiled its long-term plans for the future on Wednesday, offering a fairytale-style glimpse of what each town will be like in 2030.
The two-and-a-half page summary delves into an idyllic future where Margate is benefiting from the Turner Contemporary gallery; Manston thrives with increased freight and commercial flights; Ramsgate has embraced its seafaring history and Westwood boasts new homes and shops. Broadstairs is the town with the smallest change remaining traditional, quiet and quaint.
The idea has been on the drawing board since 2003 but gained momentum last April.
Thanet council leader Sandy Ezekiel said: "It’s important for the council to set out how it sees Thanet progressing and developing over the next 20 years.
"By doing this we can then focus our activities and resources into making that vision become a reality. It also sets out clearly what we are aiming to achieve for our residents and that’s why we want all of them to take a look at the document and give their views."
There is no mention of Dreamland in the future vision document.
Cllr Ezekiel said people should stop living in the past.
Speaking out against residents' hopes that a Dreamland-style fun park could return to Margate, the council leader said it "wouldn’t pay" to have the same sort of attraction.
He said: "We’ve got to stop living in the past. We need to change Margate into this cultural community of excellence. Dreamland is not far from places we can’t compete with such as Alton Towers. The worst thing we can do is say we will be another Brighton, there’s so much to offer developers and regeneration is the key. Development and regeneration are the key."
But suggestions that people could go to Bluewater rather than Westwood Cross were shot down.
He said: "If Dreamland was making a profit it would still be open today. There is no doubt it did bring some benefit to Thanet but why would you close down a site that is making money? You just wouldn’t do it. Westwood Cross is for east Kent, even the previous administration supported it. People from as far as Maidstone come to Westwood Cross, between them and us there’s nothing. If you look at Thorpe Park people go only once or twice a year."
Owner Waterbridge is still ploughing ahead with its vision of a heritage amusement park but said in 2008 that work could not start for at least another three years.
Meanwhile, the council’s document is expected to go be given the green light by cabinet members on Thursday before this draft version goes out to public consultation on February 28 so you can say what you think.
The document will be revised, depending on the comments the council receives, before being formally adopted in July.
Extracts from the vision.
Thanet’s economy has been renewed, driven by a busy airport at Manston with more passengers and freight coming into the area. Thriving offshore wind-farms have brought jobs to Ramsgate. New creative businesses attract more residents and visitors into Margate. The district is more prosperous and the average income is close to that of Kent.
New dual carriageways link Thanet with neighbouring towns.
Education levels are now on a par with the rest of Kent.
Residents take advantage of higher-paid jobs.
More people are starting up their own businesses.
Thanet is attracting working-age adults, young families and elderly people.
Thanet is a much safer place for tourists and visitors.
Imaginative facilities exist across the district with the all-weather adventure playground proving popular.
Broadstairs.
No change. Traditional seaside resort with its lovely old buildings preserved and enhanced. Pedestrians are prioritised throughout the town.
Manston.
Manston is the commercial centre of Thanet. KIA has established itself as a major cargo base for the UK receiving 300,000 tons of freight a year. Scheduled passenger services run daily. Residents have taken advantage of the thousands of jobs created over the past 21 years.
Margate.
Margate has a new economic heart founded on the success of the internationally-renowned Turner Contemporary gallery. Extensive redevelopment means the town centre is now much smaller with shops and town houses.
The Old Town is a creative quarter full of cafes, restaurants and shops. Galleries offer the work of local artists. A pedestrian friendly seafront means easy access for the beach. The population is relatively young and affluent. House prices have been driven up and dilapidated boarding houses have been transformed into offices, art studios and flats.
Ramsgate.
Ramsgate is bustling with the town centred on the Royal Harbour. The historic buildings are well-maintained and beautifully lit. The marina has expanded because of the growing popularity of boat ownership. The town is billed as a premier sailing destination.
There is a renewed café culture as well as stylish shops and chi guesthouses. There is a nautical theme with oyster bars and sailing clothes shops. There is a cross channel ferry operator and fast rail links make it a popular destination for Londoners. The maintenance of the offshore wind farms are a key source of employment.
Westwood.
Westwood has grown and flourished. It has an excellent range of homes, schools, leisure, sports, and shops in a pleasant and convenient environment. The new homes next to Westwood Cross benefit from the university campus, Thanet college, Marlowe Academy and the Innovation Centre.
19 Comments
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by Steven Smallwood-Hurn, Margate
Monday, March 16 2009, 3:09PM
“Upon reading others¿ comments, I have to remain positive about Margate and say it will rise, like a phoenix from the ashes (forgive the pun). However, some of the comments have covered the subject that Dreamland was not as profitable upon its reopening, as it had been in the past. Also that the Bembomb Brothers era was well organised and bought the best out within the family attraction.
I do have to laugh; have people forgotten about the recession of the eighties, and the nineties, and that one of the Bembomb Brothers sold up, and left it to the other family members to manage. Combined, they started a roller coaster of disaster (again, forgive the pun), Cliftonville together with the Lido were the first to feel the pinch and changes of such a tough time.
Jimmy Godden was to take on such a responsibility of Dreamland and with the after effects of immigration, such as foreign parties into the area; these were forcing London¿s day-trippers and beano parties away from this area. This had a knock ¿ on effect, including the loss of money within the economy, and the closure of holiday homes, hostels, and hotels such as Nayland Rock, to incorporate the live-in of immigrants. All this combined with bad press and rumours of an economical decline; our beloved seaside town was impacted upon badly ¿ resulting in a slump within both the tourism industry, and the market as a whole.
In conclusion and to end all queries to the regeneration of our beloved Island, a quick fix solution will not put Thanet back on the map; it will take years of cleaning up, and straightening out mistakes of past councils and government bodies.
If we were to regenerate Margate, we would have the means and needs to develop Manston, making it a more viable solution for those wishing to travel to Thanet, and those in Thanet would have the means to travel outside internationally. With the creation of employment through the regeneration of attractions such as Dreamland, and places like the Lido and Cliftonville; along with the Turner Contemporary Centre, and Westwood Cross, Thanet would be a hive of economic growth, however without one of the above parts, the ladder will break, and be incredibly unsuccessful.”
by Linda Kiddell, Westbrook,Margate
Monday, March 02 2009, 1:33PM
“Reading the statement above makes me wonder what the author is putting in his tea because when I walk around Margate I cannot for the life of me see what he is seeing! Sandy Z and his TDC are deluded if they think that Margate is on the up and I would suggest to them to take off their blindfolds and walk around the town as if they were a visitor and seeing the town for the first time. Then and only then will they actually wake up from this pleasant dream they so obviously are in and see the area as it truly is-a dump. As a child in the 60s I came to Margate on holiday from the midlands because it was a place you could take the family and have fun. In 2009 I can fully understand why the very few visitors who dare come to the area now, turn around and never come back. I do not wish to be so depressive about this but as I am now a resident to Margate and have spoken to visitors for research on my dissertation titled Margate-Regeneration Reviewed and studied the area in great detail, find that the Turner Contemporary is not the answer to the towns problems giving the locals opportunities of work and raising their aspirations but a fantastic opportunity for the people involved in the project to do some self promotion. If you do not believe me Sandy Z take a look at The Public, West Brom, The National Centre for popular music Shefield, The Gardener Centre Arts Centre Brighton to name but a few that closed after one year due to lack of local interrest and the unrealistic predicted visitor numbers. I managed to do my researched and would suggest TDC should do the same. Maybe then it would sink in that these large estimated visior numbers to the Turner thing is just a big fat pie in the sky. I am an artist and think this is a waste of money so I fully understand how other people feel about this project. We need a lot more put into place before a folly like this is built on our sea front. If you want it so bad give it to Dover as the design of the building looks more like a huge cliff sticking out like a sore thumb and look much more at home there.That brings me to another white elehpant, how many remember the same promises and hopes given to the Dover people when DDC built The White Cliffs Experience that was never an experience for locals other than inflating their council tax and closing after a very short time due to (guess what?) lack of the unrealistic visior numbers as it was boring and other than the castle there was nothing else to offer the tourist. Still who am I to talk? I like the rest of the community have not been consulted on what I would like my money spent on and what I think the town needs to be rejuvinated, we have clowns doing that job for us!!”
by David kelly, margate
Sunday, February 22 2009, 3:10PM
“Now i see someone is trying to get some of the funding from the council to open dreamland again, lol the council wont coff that money up if dreamland is re-opened they wont make any money on their property scam.
I mean waterbridge has bribed enough councilers to stop that from happening. oops there i go again hush my lips lol”
by Peter, Perth, Western Australia
Saturday, February 21 2009, 12:00AM
“I was born in Ramsgate and lived in Margate 1975-1980. last year(May) I returned to Thanet for a holiday, what a shock, so many buildings in disrepair and boarded up. The most disturbing of all was to find ourselves being verbally abused by Eastern European peolpe(I assume refugees) and in one instance threatened. I asked friends and family about this and they said they live with this everyday. My Aunty, an elderly lady of 80+ years, recently experienced a home invasion in the middle of the day. Me thinks Thanet & in particular Margate has a considerable way to go before they will create the vision talked about in this article.”
by Bod Seamus, Local
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 10:20PM
“Hey boys, you Thanet people still have a few things to be thankful for. Your rents aren't outrageous, you've got sandy beaches (some of them, no, many of them, quite nice), you're not isolated like other sea towns (I'm thinking Clacton and Dover for example), you're just about (at a stretch) commutable to London, and definitely commutable to Canterbury, Herne Bay, Folkestone and others. You can even do quick day trips to France. I know it's not exactly Whitstable or Poole, but it's still an interesting part of the country. Ramsgate is OK, it's got potential. Broadstairs, as I think everyone would agree, is great, Westage and Birchington are very fine places too. Margate has its moments, but has singularly failed to improve like similar towns (as someone mentioned Southend has done well in this regard), but I like the place. Just don't walk around between 10.30pm and 3.00am, as you will get hurt, but that's the same in many places.
I don't think you should write off Thanet, not even Margate, but fair play to all those who have commented - you can definitely write-off your local politicians and even your local MP.”