**DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS TODAY!**
**25th April**
This letter was sent to "Your Views Page" [Isle of Thanet Gazette | Thanet Times | Thanet Adscene]
New camp for the old buoy?I've attended all the consultations possible on what should happen to regenerate the Margate seafront, in the run-up to the Turner opening. I don't remember anyone suggesting the need for a 5 meter high buoy on the roundabout, blocking the view of the sea as you come out of the station. So I can't understand how placing the buoy here could have got on the top 10 environmental improvements.The Gazette (11.02.2011) reports Councillor Martin Wise saying: "there are two camps of people in Margate -the art people and those that see it as a seaside town".Perhaps the situation is a bit more complex. For simplicity, I'll put myself in the camp of the seaside town believers. Resources should be dedicated to making the seaside more usable to the town. For example, the harbour needs to be dredged, getting rid of the stench of rotting seaweed. The bathing pools need to work, so people can swim in them safely. The mess on the seafront between Margate and Cliftonville needs to be cleared up. Facilities need to be installed so that swimmers can lock up their belongings while swimming, and shower afterwards. The plan to place a useless buoy on the Tesco's roundabout proves there is a camp in Margate that is neither "seaside" nor "arty".Liam J. Nabb Hawley Square, Margate"
Placing the 5 metre buoy there will cost public money. We have not been told how much? But we have been told there are no funds for Margate Caves or Margate Museum and perhaps there are projects you know of that are more worthy. Should you wish to find out, you could ask your local Councillor. Should you wish to make YOUR views known, write immediately to planning.services@thanet.gov.uk or go to www.ukplanning.com/thanet and put the reference TH/11/0047 Land on the South Side of Marine Terrace. Remember, you need to add your name and postal address, or your comments are invalid.
Below are the comments submitted by the CAAG – Margate’s Conservation Area Advice Group
"This seems to be an inappropriate setting for modern industrial navigation aid.Placing a massive buoy in this location will interrupt Margate's characteristic sea view that has greeted travellers since the Grade II Listed station was built.The view of the listed Buenos Aires Terrace, as seen from all along the marine drive, will also be spoilt. The View of the station will also be interrupted. Including the view from the Turner Contemporary and the Stone Pier.- hardly a good idea in the run-up to the opening of the new gallery. Interrupting views of key listed buildings will have a detrimental effect on the Conservation Area.The proposal does not preserve or enhance the appearance of the Conservation Area and therefore should be refused."
MA said : For example, the harbour needs to be dredged, getting rid of the stench of rotting seaweed.
ReplyDeleteI went to Margate about two weeks ago and there was a big pile of it in the harbour smelling away. If you don't know its seaweed, other things come to mind.
Dose anyone have any information on what is happening, are they going to leave it to smell?
Buoy, not more clutter.
What are the proposals for the Lido area?!
ReplyDeleteIf you changed the words '5 meter high Bouy' to 'Large Steel abstract sculpture' would that have made any of you feel better?
ReplyDeleteIf lets say, Sir Antony Caro created a buoy like steel sculpture and it was installed on the roundabout, would there then be the same negativity, I wonder?
The comments and sentiments given are similar to those made by opponents of the building of the Turner contemporary, and we know MA that you are in favour of that.
If you then reassess the examples of the comments made:
"This seems to be an inappropriate setting for a modern piece of art.
Placing a massive sculpture in this location will interrupt Margate's characteristic sea view that has greeted travellers since the Grade II Listed station was built.
The view of the listed Buenos Aires Terrace, as seen from all along the marine drive, will also be spoilt.
The View of the station will also be interrupted. Including the view from the Turner Contemporary and the Stone Pier.- hardly a good idea in the run-up to the opening of the new gallery.
Interrupting views of key listed buildings will have a detrimental effect on the Conservation Area.
The proposal does not preserve or enhance the appearance of the Conservation Area and therefore should be refused."
They seem to have less impact. Now you may not agree that a sculpture there would be a good idea either. But im sure you would have been more at ease with that proposition.
Or change that from sculpture to 'Turner contemporary', the same old arguments surface but they just used for different things when they don't suit a specific camp.
The Buoy obviously has a direct connection with this and most other coastal towns which had a working harbor. It is absolutely sea side, but neither arty or seasidey. Maybe thats the problem, it just doesn't fit either of the two preconceived ideas about what Margate should or shouldn't be.
The problem with it, will be that it will have very little impact on such a huge roundabout, the scale will not work at all. It will be so insignificant on that piece of land that it will be missed by most people who walk by it.
On the end of the silted boating pool by the clock tower there is a sluice which drains Tivoli brooks. Over the years there has been illegal taps in the pipe network. If the flints behind the poolhave turned black or feel slimy that good be your source.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bouy,we seem to forget Margate is a maritime town or should I saw was. On the landward side there is very little to recognise that fact that we have a maritime heritage and connections. We don't even have boats in the harbour anymore
Tony Beachcomber said... On the landward side there is very little to recognise that fact that we have a maritime heritage and connections. We don't even have boats in the harbour anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhy is there no boats any more Ramsgate has lots, is there a reason for this? Some nice boats would give tourists something to look at, and fit nicely with its maritime heritage.
thanks,
ReplyDeleteI guess the expense to rectify would outweigh the benefit. I would of thought this involved building some sort of barrier with a gate that may or may not cause an eyesore. Forgive me for my ignorance. I feel it would be money well spent to get some type of boating community back.
Also for long term economic stability.