Wednesday 20 August 2008

Let's set up the Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group

Thanet Council has had a bit of a hard time finding people to come together to form groups to go alongside the designated Conservation Areas. There is a requirement for there to be an advisory group comprised of lay people, i.e. not council officials, to fulfill a number of functions. TDC put a list of the possible role of the groups:

- Help formulate proposals for the enhancement of Conservation Areas.
- Help seek and support funding opportunities for agreed schemes for enhancement and
maintenance of the Conservation Areas.
- Help develop stewardship by raising public awareness
- Comment on planning applications within the Conservation Areas.
- Comment on issues which may affect the Conservation Areas.

So far, it was put over to the Margate Civic Society to see if they could drum up interest in setting up a Margate CAAG. However, much ringing and writing of emails to the Society, what I got in return was that they don't know anything about the CAAGs. So back to TDC. There I was informed that it might be a good idea me to try to organise one myself and take it from there.

So, here it is. The call for anyone interested to join me in setting up Margate's Conservation Area Advisory Group. Please email me and lets see if we can get this ball rolling. Designated Conservation Areas require management and the involvement of the communities living in them.

Tuesday 12 August 2008

Ramsgate got Paxer we got Nasty Nick

I'm still catching up with the Thanet blogosphere (is there anything else?). I notice that ECR spotted Jeremy Paxman at Peter's Fish Factory in good old Ramsgate. Well, would you believe it, but I spotted Big Brother's Nasty Nick enjoying a glass of vino at the Harbour Cafe on the newly renovated "piazza" as it's threatened to be rebranded at the Parade in Margate. And that's next door to Peter's Fish Factory, so one wonders if there is some kind of promotion going on bringing grumpy old blokes to town.

Yikes! All fall down!

Wandering around over the weekend and I came across a couple of structures falling down. First a large portion of a tree crashed to the ground at the Thanet Road entrance of Dane Park. Narrowly missing the chaps on community service who have been painting the railings. Hope the tree wardens have it all in hand.


Then the fire service were out removing scaffolding at the lower end of the high street that had partially collapsed.


Never a dull moment.