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A Glimpse at Future Possibilities

Image courtesy of Kent Film Foundation

The Ramsgate Society is not alone in envisaging a better built environment and improved community resources for the town. We note here the proposal from the Kent Film Foundation for a rebuilding of the Granville Cinema into a multi-purpose arts centre. Plans for the building include two cinema screens, a new theatre space, a rooftop café and workshop space to continue with youth film clubs and create a new youth theatre and youth orchestra in partnership with Pie Factory music.

As always, a key issue for any future project is the need to secure funding. One possibility, which John Walker addresses in the following newsletter item, is the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. One of the three categories for making a bid is:

Cultural investment maintaining, regenerating, or creatively repurposing museums, galleries, visitor attractions (and associated green spaces) and heritage assets as well as creating new community-owned spaces to support the arts and serve as cultural spaces

(The ‘Levelling Up Prospectus’ March 2021)

One view is that the Sandcastle project neatly compliments our own for reinvigorating the Clock House as a heritage centre and centrepiece for a repurposed Pier Yard – the two together fitting closely one of the criteria for a Levelling Up bid by Thanet District Council.

Terry Prue

Ramsgate Society Communications Lead

The Ramsgate Levelling UP Bid

Members may be aware that TDC have recently been consulting Ramsgate residents and local organisations about their priorities for inclusion in the bid to the Government Levelling Up Fund. This is a fund of £4.8billion which the Government has made available to local authorities in the UK. Its core objective is to support local communities by investing in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people. The Fund will achieve this by focusing on:

• Town centre and high street regeneration, including remediation and repurposing of vacant and brownfield sites;

• Improving local transport connectivity and infrastructure, including upgrades to local bus, road and cycle infrastructure; and

• Maintaining and regenerating cultural, heritage and civic assets.

The Ramsgate Society has identified three projects as priorities for investment:

1. The renovation of the Clock House as a new, modern Heritage Centre for the town together with the conversion of Pier Yard from a car park into a Town Square. This project will have a transformational impact on the town and its visitor economy.

2. The repurposing of Port Ramsgate as a Green Energy Hub, replacing the existing failed freight activities.

3. The renovation of the Granville Theatre at the Eastcliff creating a stunning new centre which will include workshop space, cinema, theatre, a bee-friendly roof terrace, the town’s first organic restaurant – and a new name, Sandcastle.

The maximum amount that any local authority can receive is £20million for which there is a requirement to provide 10% match funding.

The deadline for submission of initial proposals is Friday 18th June and the TDC Cabinet has already voted in favour of submitting the bid. There is no shortage of projects that people would like to see implemented and TDC Officers and Cabinet members are meeting on17th June to agree the final contents of the bid from the many proposals that they have received as a result of the consultation.

The Ramsgate Society proposals for the Clock House and Pier Yard have been thoroughly worked out as a result of the detailed feasibility study the Society undertook in 2016 and are widely recognised as meeting the Government’s criteria, so we have reason to believe that this project will be one of those selected.

There is a two-stage bid process and it is anticipated that a decision as to whether the Ramsgate Bid can proceed to Stage 2 will be announced later in the Summer. Projects must be completed by the end of the financial year 2024/25

Click here for more on the Society’s plans for the Clock House.

John Walker

Manston DCO Further Consultation

Photo: The Isle of Thanet News

On 11th June 2021 the Department for Transport notified the Interested Parties that they were undertaking a further consultation in order to allow them to redetermine the DCO following the decision of the High Court on 15th May 2021 that the previous approval was unlawful.

The main points the Secretary of State has identified for consideration are:

1.(a) The extent to which current national or local policies (including any changes since 9 July 2020 such as, but not limited to, the reinstatement of the ANPS) inform the level of need for the services that the Development would provide and the benefits that would be achieved from the Development.

1.(b) Whether the quantitative need for the Development has been affected by any changes since 9 July 2019, and if so, a description of any such changes and the impacts on the level of need from those changes (such as, but not limited to, changes in demand for air freight, changes of capacity at other airports, locational requirements for air freight and the effects of Brexit and/or Covid);

2. The extent to which the Secretary of State should, in his re-determination of the application, have regard to the sixth carbon budget (covering the years between 2033 – 2037) which will include emissions from international aviation and;

Any other matters arising since 9 July 2019 which Interested Parties consider are material for the Secretary of State to take into account in his re-determination of the application.

3. In addition to the above matters set out in paragraph 2, the Secretary of State requests information from the Interested Parties specified below.

4. In light of the passage of time since close of the examination, the Secretary of State requests the Applicant to consider the currency of the environmental information produced for the application (including information submitted to inform the Habitats Regulation Assessment) and either confirm the continued currency of that information, or where necessary, to submit updated information.

5. The Secretary of State seeks confirmation or otherwise from the Government Legal Department of consent to the compulsory acquisition under section 135 of the Planning Act 2008 in relation to plots 019c and 05b held as Queen’s Nominee in respect of bona vacantia land.

6. The Secretary of State seeks confirmation or otherwise from both the Met Office and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government of consent to the compulsory acquisition under section 135 of the Planning Act 2008 in relation to plot 27. 7.

The deadline for any response is 9 July 2021. The Society will be carefully considering these matters and responding to this consultation within the specified period.

Full text of the letter from the Department for Transport here.

John Walker

Ramsgate Society Litter Pick Sunday 13th June

Photo: John Walker

Sunday 13th June turned out to be a glorious day weatherwise for the Ramsgate Society Chine to Chine Litter Pick.

This event was part of the Keep Britain Tidy Spring Clean 2021 which took place right across the country between Friday 28th May and Sunday 13th June.

During the Covid pandemic people have come to appreciate more than ever the value of our green spaces, parks, beaches and public realm and the valuable contribution these places make to our wellbeing and mental health. During the last week some 15 community litter picks took place in various Ramsgate neighbourhoods culminating in the Ramsgate Society Chine to Chine on Sunday 13th June.

I would particularly like to thank the staff from McDonalds in Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate who turned out in force with their children and made a big impact. They also provided plenty of water and fruit drinks to help combat the heat and contributed these to Our Kitchen in Ramsgate which is run by Sharon Goodyear and her amazing volunteers.

Our thanks as ever got to Chris Barton and the team at Ramsgate Town Council who provide all the backup for these events. We are very fortunate to have such a great team at RTC who go out of their way to help local community groups to do great work in the town. Thanks to the Mayor of Ramsgate, Cllr. Raushan Ara, who works tirelessly to support the local community across so many activities and to Tricia Austin, Chair of the Ramsgate Litter Forum, who coordinates the activities of local groups in the ongoing battle against litter in Ramsgate. Finally a special thanks to Meher Basit, the Ramsgate Society Committee member who leads on these events for the Society, and puts in so much effort to make these occasions a success.

Our next Chine to Chine will be in October and we’ll let you know the date nearer the time.

John Walker

St Laurence Churchyard Tours Return

Photo: Barbara Byne

Barbara Byne will again be leading tours of St Laurence Churchyard at 10am on the first Saturday of the month from July to October. She will cover the monuments of many famous people including the story of the first Duke of Sussex and a visit to the mausoleum dedicated to his two children (cousins of Queen Victoria) and their mother Lady Augusta Murray.

More details here. No charge but a donation to the Church is welcomed.

Contact the Ramsgate Society

If you have any queries about or for the Society please get in touch N.B. 2021 membership is now due – if you have any membership queries also use this link to ask about it.

Members with events, workshops or news that you would like the Society to consider featuring in its newsletter please contact: news@ramsgate-society.org.uk