tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-798661774795830802024-03-13T11:16:39.982+00:00Margate ArchitectureA blog on Margate's architecture, life & landscape since 2007 by Louise OldfieldLouise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.comBlogger456125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-69913568790295842862020-02-25T19:59:00.003+00:002020-02-25T20:01:51.284+00:00Public Meeting: Margate's Millions! - Thursday 27th Feb - Come and discuss how to best spend £25 million to benefit local people<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in September 2019, the Government announced a list of 101 towns eligible to each bid up to £25m as part of the £3.6bn Towns Fund. Margate was one of the towns listed as eligible to bid for this money. I've previously written about the background to this funding <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.com/2020/01/research-behind-25m-towns-fund-for.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In my piece, I pointed out that underlying research behind the scheme identified the areas of Dance Valley and Cliftonville West as the reason why the funds were targeted in our town. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On February 10</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2020, members of civil society groups in Margate and Cliftonville sent an open letter to Thanet District Council regarding the bid. Read the signable letter <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.com/2020/02/community-group-reps-send-open-letter.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm a co-signee of the letter and also co-organiser of the following event. We believe its imperative local people are involved in this whole process of this bid for Margate.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Margate residents are invited to come together on </span><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday 27</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> February 2020</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to start the conversation with their neighbours. The event is free and open to the public. It starts at </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>7.30pm</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sharp at </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>St Paul's Community Centre, Cliftonville, CT9 2DB</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.
The venue has limited capacity so all are advised to come early to avoid disappointment. Please signup for a place <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/margates-millions-tickets-96517355007" target="_blank">at Eventbrite</a>.
</span><br />The Margate Millions event has been organised by A Better Cliftonville, the Grotto Hill Area Street Scheme, the Gordon Road Area Street Scheme, the Athelstan Road Tenants and Residents' Association and the Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/towns-fund-prospectus" target="_blank">Government Towns Fund Prospectus</a><br /><a href="https://localtrust.org.uk/insights/research/left-behind-understanding-communities-on-the-edge" target="_blank">Left Behind? Communities on the Edge Report (Local Trust)</a></span></div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-88837279709501896022020-02-24T20:07:00.000+00:002020-02-24T20:07:29.281+00:00Community Group Reps Send Open Letter to Thanet District Council Regarding the £25 million Margate Town Deal FundOn February 10th, representatives of Margate community groups sent an open letter to Thanet District Council regarding the process and implementation of the £25 million Margate Town Deal funding from central government.<br /><br />
You can sign it <a href="https://forms.gle/BcFqQ31169wyUPEc8" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /><br />Monday, February 10th, 2020<br />
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Dear Madeline Homer and Cllr. Rick Everitt,<br />
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We were delighted to learn that Margate had been invited to bid for up to £25 million from the Towns Fund set up by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Spent wisely, £25 million could have a transformative impact on the social fabric and economy of Margate.<br />
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However, we are concerned that very little has been published by Thanet District Council (TDC) about the bid so far. Councils leading bids must, according to the Government, be “open by default.” and they should publish the Town Deal Board’s governance and ways of working. Following which, the assembled Town Deal Board appoints a Chair.<br />
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We understand that you are advertising for the role of Chair before you have appointed a Board, which is the wrong way round.<br />
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We call on TDC to advertise the vacancies for the Town Deal Board so that residents who wish to serve have a chance to put themselves forward. We also call on you to explain to residents how the Board will be appointed and how it will engage with the town’s citizens.<br />
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We call on TDC to appoint a Board that reflects the diversity of our town and to pay particular attention to the communities in Dane Valley and Cliftonville West. Margate has been invited to bid for £25 million because of the unique challenges these wards face. It would be wrong to appoint a Board that did not enlist the insights and understanding of the people who live here.<br />
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We call on TDC to appoint a Board that consists of people who live in Margate, or who possess deep and relevant expertise and a track record of outstanding public service. We expect all Board Members to abide by the seven Nolan Principles of public life, as stipulated by the Government:<br />
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1. Selflessness<br />
2. Integrity<br />
3. Objectivity<br />
4. Accountability<br />
5. Openness<br />
6. Honesty<br />
7. Leadership<br />
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Furthermore, all Board members must meet the most stringent available “fit and proper persons” tests. Given the impact of austerity on our town we are particularly anxious to ensure that no individual found to have engaged in tax avoidance be permitted to serve on the Board.<br />
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We call on TDC to allocate some of the money it has already received from central government (£162,019) to encourage meaningful participation from all of our citizens in the development of the bid. We remind you that the town does not have long. The Government’s Prospectus states that bids must be submitted by the end of the Summer.<br />
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We are all members of civil society groups in Margate and Cliftonville. We don’t claim any special authority, but we want to see Margate flourish. Let’s make sure the bid we submit at the end of the Summer is as strong as it can be, by bringing the town together from the very outset around a vision for our shared future.<br />
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Yours sincerely,<br />
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Joe Bacon, ARTRA<br />
Simon Bell, GRASS<br />
Stephen Darrer, GRASS<br />
Jo Goodson, ABC<br />
Hubert Green, Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group<br />
Kate Harrison, ABC<br />
Dan Hind, GHASS<br />
Liam Nabb, Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group<br />
Louise Oldfield, Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group<br />
Matt Shoul, ARTRA<br />
Peter Thomas, Margate Conservation Area Advisory Group<br />
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<br />Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-6601858880852277282020-01-28T17:14:00.000+00:002020-01-28T22:31:34.537+00:00Research behind £25m Towns Fund for Margate cite Dane Valley and Cliftonville West as key communities in need<span style="text-align: left;">Back in September 2019 the </span><a href="https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2019/09/06/margate-in-line-for-up-to-25-million-of-government-investment/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Government announced a list of 101 towns</a><span style="text-align: left;"> eligible to each bid up to £25m as part of the £3.6bn Towns Fund.</span><br />
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Margate was one of the towns listed as eligible.<br />
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On November 1st, the Government published the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/towns-fund-prospectus" target="_blank">Towns Fund Prospectus</a> which laid out the details on the thinking and research behind the need for the fund and the process Lead Councils should follow to administer the £25m fund, set up a Town Deal Board, and develop Investment Plans to apply for the funding by the summer of 2020.<br />
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On January 16th, Thanet District Council (TDC) posted an <a href="https://www.thanet.gov.uk/info-pages/margate-town-deal-board-chair-recruitment/" target="_blank">advertisement </a>on their website with a job description for the role of Chair of the Margate Town Deal Board. The deadline set by Thanet District Council for applications is February 10th. The job description listed a series of attributes/skillset for applicants. These are not from the government Prospectus:<br />
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"<b>Person Specification</b><br />
- Proven ability to think strategically<br />
- Relevant experience of a senior or influential position demonstrating strategic leadership and effectiveness over a significant period<br />
- Experience of providing effective direction and leadership, including developing, implementing and monitoring corporate business strategies<br />
- Ability to apply interpersonal, influence and networking skills to build commitment and consensus within a wide constituency of business community and political stakeholders and to deliver agreed outcomes<br />
- Knowledge of Thanet is desirable<br />
- Experience of regeneration and economic development<br />
- A background in the private sector, which could include a Community Interest Company"</blockquote>
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According to the Government Prospectus published in November, TDC will have received capacity funding of £162,019 to cover the costs of:<br />
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“- Running business and wider community engagement events;<br />
- Developing Town Investment Plans;<br />
- Providing technical expertise for business case development;<br />
- Convening [a] Town Deal Board.”</blockquote>
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The Government Prospectus outlines a specific process and states that Lead Councils should publish the Town Deal Board’s governance and ways of working. Following which, the assembled Town Deal Board appoints a Chair:<br />
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“2.23 The Lead Council should publish the Town Deal Board’s governance structure and ways of working, such as a statement for how the board will engage stakeholders and agree decisions over time. Lead Councils should set out how capacity funding will be spent, and how that will support the process of developing a good Town Investment Plan.<br />
2.24 Whilst the Town Deal Board serves an advisory function to the Lead Council, we expect all members to adhere to the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life" target="_blank">Nolan Principles</a>, set out clear Terms of Reference, and agree to a Code of Conduct.<br />
2.25 While we recognise that each place is different, Town Deal Boards should appoint a Chair. Where appropriate we expect this Chair to be from the private sector.”</blockquote>
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- The Prospectus states the process of setting up the Town Deal Boards and the development of Investment Plans should be ‘open by default’.<br />
- That the terms of governance and ways of working should be published on the Council’s website.<br />
- And, crucially, that the Town Deal Board should themselves appoint a Chair.<br />
- The funding already allocated of £169,019 should be utilised from the beginning of the outlined process to engage with local people in the community.<br />
- Local people have talents and knowledge. Funding is stated as eligible to be spent on bringing in business expertise, should it be required, to support the work of the board. What’s imperative is that the process is open and transparent and seen to be so.<br />
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<b>Background to the Towns Fund scheme</b><br />
The fund Prospectus mentions ‘levelling up’ of a number of regions in the UK that are the background to this funding allocation. Margate is a coastal town on the east coast. This is related to recently published research that identified some of the UK’s areas that are facing unique challenges in combatting deprivation levels.<br />
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<b>Why is Margate one of the 101 towns chosen for funding?</b><br />
The Towns Fund Prospectus references research that was commissioned by Local Trust, an organisation that was established in 2012 to run the National Lottery-funded Big Local scheme. This committed £1m each to 150 neighbourhoods across England. You might have heard of the <a href="https://www.renewington.com/" target="_blank">Big Local scheme in Newington</a>, also in Thanet. Through their work with communities, Local Trust found that some towns and areas suffering high deprivation faced further difficulties and challenges, predominantly around the lack of meeting spaces, connectivity and transport. This restricts the ability of communities to come together to meet, organise to rejuvenate. Local Trust commissioned research consultancy <a href="https://ocsi.uk/who-we-are/" target="_blank">Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI)</a> a spinout from the Social Disadvantage Research Centre at the University of Oxford. The resulting research is covered in the report <a href="https://localtrust.org.uk/insights/research/left-behind-understanding-communities-on-the-edge" target="_blank">Left Behind? Understanding Communities on the Edge report</a>, published in September 2019. <br />
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“The report suggests that places to meet, connectivity – both physical and digital – and an active, engaged community are vital to secure better social and economic outcomes for people living in deprived neighbourhoods.” Local Trust, 2019</blockquote>
OCSI have now developed the <a href="indexhttps://ocsi.uk/2019/10/21/community-needs-index-measuring-social-and-cultural-factors/" target="_blank">Community Needs Index</a>. This is available to public authorities and organisations.<br />
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The data within the Community Needs Index lists two Wards in Margate: <a href="https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/5108.html" target="_blank">Cliftonville West</a> and <a href="https://mapit.mysociety.org/area/5110.html" target="_blank">Dane Valley</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cliftonville West Ward</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dane Valley Ward</span></div>
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It makes sense, therefore, that investment funding from the Margate Towns Fund is prioritised to benefit those two areas within the future Margate Town Investment Plan. This is because the data behind the Left Behind? Report, the Community Needs Index are referenced in the Towns Fund prospectus and thinking. Margate is identified as eligible for this funding, because of the challenges identified within Cliftonville West and Dane Valley. That’s not to say that 100% of the funding should be allocated there, but it’s evident that improving the lives of people living in these two wards and should be a clear focus.<br />
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OCSI kindly provided me with data sheets to share, illustrating this. Google Sheet <a href="http://here./">here.</a> There are other areas of Thanet within the Community Needs Index (Eastcliff, Newington and Northwood). However, they are not part of Margate and the 101 towns selected by the government this time around for funding.</div>
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More information from Local Trust on the Community Needs Index:</div>
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<a href="https://localtrust.org.uk/insights/research/left-behind-understanding-communities-on-the-edge/">https://localtrust.org.uk/insights/research/left-behind-understanding-communities-on-the-edge/</a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It supports the case for new solutions to ‘level up’ civic infrastructure (such as community centres, libraries, green spaces) and improve connectivity and community engagement. It asks government to answer the call of the Community Wealth Fund Alliance for the next wave of dormant assets from stocks, shares, bonds, insurance and pension funds to be invested in left-behind neighbourhoods for this purpose. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The report also asks government to establish a joint cross-government/civil society task force to consider evidence and develop recommendations to improve social and economic outcomes for people in left-behind areas, and to allocate an appropriate proportion of the £3.6bn Stronger Towns Fund and the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund to them.’"</blockquote>
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What needs to happen, is that local people are actively involved and invited to participate with the entire process, and this should include the decision-making and assembling the administration of the funding scheme. This should include recruitment to the Town Deal Board, the appointment of a Chair and setting the priority areas of Cliftonville West and Dane Valley for the fund to benefit. There shouldn't be a prescriptive, top-down approach that overemphasises the so-called corporate skillset of board members or Chair. There is money to bring in business support and guidance should it be needed. What's key is that this fund is administered with an understanding and the trust of the communities it is set up to assist.<br />
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-76854656099678574552017-09-26T16:28:00.000+01:002017-09-26T16:28:35.700+01:00Plastic windows installed on Margate's Grade II listed Stone Pier tower <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-ZXXGLHZU8/WcpxmWI7f6I/AAAAAAAADxk/aztBy-PSA4cqbz3B5dODLKDgHfca42A6QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/21768078_10155602808551153_8418847998490433240_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-ZXXGLHZU8/WcpxmWI7f6I/AAAAAAAADxk/aztBy-PSA4cqbz3B5dODLKDgHfca42A6QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/21768078_10155602808551153_8418847998490433240_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What have they done!</td></tr>
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<br />I noticed today that the tower on Margate's Grade II listed Stone Pier (aka the Harbour Arm) had scaffolding up and as I got closer I thought it looked odd. All of the metal framed windows have been removed and replaced with UPVC plastic! The tower has also been painted a shade of what I can only describe as a cream magnolia. It looks awful. Something between a kitchen extension and a porta-cabin.<br /><br />According to Thanet District Council's planning enquiry line (01843 577150) there's not been an application for Listed Building Consent nor landlord's permission.<br /><br />Whoever has done these works to this much loved, prominent Margate landmark which had a delicate industrial character looking out to sea, seems to have just turned up and carried out the works without the necessary permissions.<br /><br />Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-18067401314121611622017-09-07T13:34:00.001+01:002017-09-07T13:34:43.167+01:00Thanet District Council's Public Space Protection Order Consultation response<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1">Dear Thanet Council,<br /><br />I'm writing to comment on the Council's proposed<a href="https://www.thanet.gov.uk/your-services/dogs-and-dog-wardens/public-spaces-protection-order-(pspo)/public-spaces-protection-order-(pspo)/" target="_blank"> </a></span><a href="https://www.thanet.gov.uk/your-services/dogs-and-dog-wardens/public-spaces-protection-order-(pspo)/public-spaces-protection-order-(pspo)/" target="_blank">Public Spaces Protection Order</a>. I'm a dog owner of nine years in the Thanet area. I consider myself to be a responsible dog owner. I have two dogs and I live in Margate Central. I would like to make the following points:<br /><b><br /><br />"The Anti‐social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 The Public Spaces Protection Order – (Thanet District Council) 2017 Thanet District Council (in this order called ‘’the Authority‘’) hereby makes the following Order: This Order comes into force on Monday 16th October 2017 for a period of 3 years.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"><b>Offences 1. Fouling If within the administrative area of the Authority a dog defecates at any time on land to which the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission and a person who is in charge of the dog at the time fails to remove the faeces from the land forthwith, that person shall be guilty of an offence unless a) has reasonable excuse for failing to do so; b) the owner, occupier or other person or authority having control of the land has consented (generally or specifically) to his failing to do so.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> "<br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span>I support this proposal.</div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"><b>"2. Leads by Order A person in charge of a dog shall be guilty of an offence if, at any time, within the administrative area of the Authority They do not comply with a direction given to them by an authorised officer of the Authority to put and keep the dog on a lead unless a) has reasonable excuse for failing to do so; or b) the owner, occupier or other person or authority having control of the land has consented (generally or specifically) to his failing to do so. An authorised officer may only give a direction under this order if such restraint is reasonably necessary to prevent a nuisance or behaviour by the dog that is likely to cause annoyance or disturbance to any other person, or to wildlife or another animal."</b></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1">- This statement does not describe what is the definition of a lead.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1">How long is a lead and should a person be holding it, or merely have a lead attached to a dog. Leads come in many lengths eg, 10m, 20m. Some extending leads that allow a dog to run free and range wide.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> I suggest the order should define the length of lead and that it be held not trailing.</span></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b><br />"3) Leads A person in charge of a dog shall be guilty of an offence if, at any time, (during the period specified in the schedule if stated), on land detailed in schedule 1, and 2 below they do not keep the dog on a lead unless a) has reasonable excuse for failing to do so; or b) the owner, occupier or other person or authority having control of the land has consented (generally or specifically) to his failing to do so."<br /></b></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1">To request dog walkers put their dogs on leads if they are out of control, are likely to improve the daily life of responsible dog owners.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> I support this proposal.<br /></span></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"><b>"4) Dog faeces Receptacle If within a public place in the administration area of the Authority a person who owns or is in in charge of a dog must have a suitable dog faeces receptacle to remove dog faeces on their person, if the person does not have in their possession a suitable dog faeces receptacle, that person shall be guilty of an offence unless a) has reasonable excuse for failing to do so; b) the owner, occupier or other person or authority having control of the land has consented (generally or specifically) to his failing to do so.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> "<br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
- There is no evidence presented by the council to support this demand this of all dog walkers rather than targeting offenders. I support proactive efforts on behalf of the council to encourage responsible dog ownership, I believe this particular measure could see responsible owners being penalised unfairly.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
- There is a lack of definition of what is a suitable dog faeces receptacle. Requiring all owners to have to show receptacles on demand is a blanket application affecting responsible dog owners not those who have caused the problems. Not having a receptacle is not an indication that someone wouldn’t pick up faces, nor is having a receptacle an indication that an irresponsible dog owner would actually pick up faces. If a responsible dog owner’s dog had already defecated and was on their way home, they might not have a receptacle with them. But if a serial offender never picks up they may always have a bag on their person. The authority should be concentrating on targeting offenders not the entire dog owning community, the majority of whom are responsible. This aspect of the proposal is in danger of giving pay per fine wardens an incentive to target dog owners who they have observed already pick up after their dogs. In the same way they have been observed following people smoking in the street rather than targeting people actually littering. <span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
- The Council should demonstrate why the use of more targeted restrictions such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Community Protection Notices would not be sufficient to deal with the problem behaviours they’ve identified.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b>"The Keeping of Dogs on a Lead between the hours of 10am to 6pm from 1st May to 30th September This order applies to all land described below: Map West Bay Westgate Westgate‐on‐Sea 2 St Mildred’s Bay Westgate Westgate‐on‐Sea 3 Westbrook Bay Margate Westbrook Ward 4 Stone Bay Broadstairs Bradstowe 5 Botany Bay Broadstairs Kingsgate Ward 6 Joss bay Broadstairs Kingsgate Ward 7 Louisa Bay Broadstairs Viking Ward 8 Minnis Bay"</b></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
- Is it the Council’s intention to relax the current permissions where they have 10am - 6pm dog bans? The PSPO proposal reads like it intends these now to be on-lead only restrictions at key beaches like Botany Bay and Joss Bay. Yet the maps show a dog ban hatched in green.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>I would suggest the current restriction of a dogs ban on these beaches between 10am-6pm is sensible to continue with rather than make them on-lead only between 10am-6pm. The map doesn't show an on-lead only area.</div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<img class="CToWUd a6T" height="379" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=e66b455f8e&view=fimg&th=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&attid=0.3&disp=emb&realattid=ii_j7af6rte3_15e5c47d70969512&attbid=ANGjdJ_ayqOFSnxXQ5WNpxKbgLxecm-2aO6C5WvKpILslsc2dFKQNrTNPlwSPWuzvpDqPMVf3pe2s7-uhXK7QaVzXaRRNoHNiMikBwKv_K3XMRizmQbUF3o-MqfxM04&sz=w1088-h758&ats=1504787308507&rm=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&zw&atsh=1" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="544" /><br /><br /><br />- I would further like to see a clear dog on-lead requirement on all seafront promenades that is clearly marked, so that people area able to walk on-lead dogs on what is effectively a pavement area and not the actual beach and that this restriction be all year round. This would create a safe environment for dog walkers and those without dogs free of off lead dogs that are potentially out of control. This is how dogs are managed on the public highway. The seafront promenade areas are like a pavement and it is safer for joggers, walkers, cyclists and indeed other dogs are on lead if dogs are only allowed off lead on the actual beaches of each bay. This will have the added benefit of reducing dog fouling on the seafront promenades because people pick up far more when dogs are on lead.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b>"(part) Birchington Birchington North 9 Walpole Bay Cliftonville Cliftonville East 10 Viking Bay Broadstairs Viking Ward Schedule 2 The Keeping of Dogs on a Lead 24 hours a day from the 1st May to 30th September"</b><br /><span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Margate Main Sands:<br />There is a discrepancy in the area detailed by the Council on the map titled Margate Main Sands. The map doesn’t show the sea defence steps. There is no yellow hatched area at all indicating where the on lead dog rules would apply. Yet the table defines Margate Main Sands restrictions as on-lead between 1 May to 30 September. Either the whole of Margate Main sands should be yellow for on-lead or the table is in error. The lack of on-lead area in yellow will have the result that dogs will not be allowed to walk on the seafacing side of the road. The current rules under the DCO are a total 24 hour dog ban on the actual Margate Main Sands beach, but dogs allowed on the seafront promenade. I would be in favour of continuing this and with the clarification that dogs are allowed to walk along the promenade on-lead including the sea defence steps. <span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-s1"></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><img class="CToWUd a6T" height="363" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=e66b455f8e&view=fimg&th=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&attid=0.2&disp=emb&realattid=ii_j7aerpe90_15e5c3d1c3d4b035&attbid=ANGjdJ9vHqKeGMGDZa6M2SLMEuG91zFlxQnsGlttOkLH-M4d9xSDtvgfWEnIys13wGiKw0cnw7PBDdhlwsUV6zesZ7hc3kGnhLl2mnVA5kvktQzoxrTYyijjyzqA2eQ&sz=w1088-h726&ats=1504787308508&rm=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&zw&atsh=1" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="544" /><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
- Walpole Bay: The map shows a yellow hatched area for on-lead only on the seafront promenade at Walpole Bay and a green dog ban on the beach section. The description of on a Lead 24 hours a day from the 1st May to 30th September<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span>is therefore contradictory to the map. I would be in favour of dogs allowed on-lead on the seafront promenade from 1 May - September 30th and a total dog ban on the beach hatched green 1 May to Sept 30th.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><img class="CToWUd a6T" height="371" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=e66b455f8e&view=fimg&th=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&attid=0.1&disp=emb&realattid=ii_j7aet9an1_15e5c3e382f0df1a&attbid=ANGjdJ9gNXTeeKToLTNHss4yYkkw92i8FdutDohjYqEU7seha-BBd4lURB2MTD-HnUq4OxsR5Tx5fKXagPE4gxfNxsq5BFdlBUAscqUJoxLh4cPqTx_pv_jzBk-QMzs&sz=w1088-h742&ats=1504787308509&rm=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&zw&atsh=1" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="544" /><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b>"This order applies to all land described below: All designated fenced children’s play areas, cemeteries, ball courts, and tennis courts"<br /></b></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
I support these proposals.<br /></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Further comments:<br /><br />A few years ago, the council removed without notice a fenced area on the cliff top at the beginning of The Ridings, which had previously been a golf course concession. For many years, dog walkers had used that area as a safe place to exercise dogs. There is a very real and constant risk of dogs falling off the top of the cliffs. A number of dogs fall every year. The area kept a number of dogs off the beaches and was an alternative exercise area. The Council has a duty to provide a place for dog walkers to exercise their dogs. As part of implementing restrictions, there is an element of dispersal issues that the Council should consider. I would welcome a fenced area such as this old golf course that had been fenced. If it was fenced with deer fencing, 1.9m high it would not be any more obtrusive than fencing around other amenities such as tennis courts and golf concessions. It would take a number of dogs off the beaches and give an alternative area for the summer months.<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
<div class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><img class="CToWUd a6T" height="351" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=e66b455f8e&view=fimg&th=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&attid=0.4&disp=emb&realattid=ii_j7af4hy52_15e5c463925fdc2a&attbid=ANGjdJ8YVJkjJ-OHpVIPzfkV-LRedPcuU2hDLRX3Guif0_xOKim2BkY0GFxC7qmfhzu4AbjQbdrZnm9SijJ_vtzjxBwPpQ3B9BJR6vz3TQ2gpHwkNLS68ydYZFjhqo0&sz=w1088-h702&ats=1504787308509&rm=15e5c48ddb4bb5ab&zw&atsh=1" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="544" /><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span class="m_3525580515831875825gmail-Apple-converted-space"><span class="HOEnZb"><span style="color: #888888;"><a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/our-resources/kennel-club-campaigns/access-for-owners-and-dogs/kc-dog/" target="_blank">Information on PSPOs from The Kennel Club</a></span></span></span></blockquote>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-73824731178026929932017-08-04T19:00:00.000+01:002017-08-04T19:40:56.163+01:00Massive hotel proposed for Hosers Corner Guy Hollaway Architects<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1gs2n" data-offset-key="cjkk-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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Oh how interesting! Isn't it a stroke of luck that the planning for multiple flats on the Hoser's Corner was always renewed by Thanet Council for over a decade, despite the flats later not according with planning guidance for Cliftonville West. Some kind of trench was dug in July 2010 and Building Control witnessed a commencement of works just before the planning permission would lapse and no longer accord with the Cliftonville West planning guidance prohibiting one bed flats.
I wrote about this <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/update-hosers-corner-council-approved.html" target="_blank">here</a>. When I last looked, it's a site that's been a derelict eyesore for years.
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">This is an unusual location for a hotel in Margate. It's not where I'd think most tourists want to stay when visiting the area (very busy corner with not great views) and also seems to be massively overdeveloped for a small site footprint. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="dg2cb-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Full article: <a href="https://theisleofthanetnews.com/guy-hollaway-architects-multi-colour-120-bed-hotel-plan-for-cliftonville/">https://theisleofthanetnews.com/guy-hollaway-architects-multi-colour-120-bed-hotel-plan-for-cliftonville/</a></span></div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-59972774417337289542017-02-09T19:38:00.000+00:002017-02-09T19:38:22.640+00:00Thanet Parkway Station will bring broadly no improvements to Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A few days ago I saw Thanet District Council officer tweets about the improvements in train service that the proposed Thanet Parkway Station to be built near Cliffsend will bring. <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/east-kent-40m-regional-growth-fund.html" target="_blank">My own blog post on Thanet Parkway in 2011</a> raising the same concerns as today.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">KCC are running consultation events in various locations at the moment. There's a <a href="http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/thanet-parkway-railway-station" target="_blank">website</a> with details. But what isn't on the website are details of how this shiny new, station manned by two employees and with parking for 300 vehicles in the middle of the Thanet countryside will affect Thanet's existing train service to their towns of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.<br /><br />Both Thanet Council and Kent County Council's twitter accounts didn't answer the basic questions of how this new station would affect the existing train services of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. <br /><br />One suggested I go to an actual consultation.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Another offered up sending an email enquiry to thanetparkway@kent.gov.uk. Anyone would think their wasn't information relevant enough to be published on the </span><a href="http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/thanet-parkway-railway-station" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">official website</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Concerns have been raised by many since the beginning of Thanet Parkway as a concept. It was originally a station to serve Manston Airport. It appears now to be for the benefit of a future new town, given all the planning permissions for housing around there. Here's what my good friend, Ed Targett wrote about it previously:</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://greentargett.com/2015/04/20/manston-parkway-bad-news-for-margate/">https://greentargett.com/2015/04/20/manston-parkway-bad-news-for-margate/</a> with the CPRE stating:</span><br />"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">“It is claimed that ‘A parkway station will provide greater opportunity to access London via High Speed 1… However we question whether it would provide any greater access than is currently available, as people in Thanet & Dover have access to plenty of stations with the HS1 service; the Parkway could simply delay trains on the whole network.</span><br />
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“We are also concerned at the claim of: ‘Improved accessibility to job markets in London and wider Kent area’. The focus for Thanet should be the provision of local jobs rather than better access for commuting elsewhere. The climate change imperative requires less travel, not more.</div>
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“Furthermore we question the claimed benefit of: “Supporting housing and employment development identified in the Draft Thanet Local Plan to 2031 Preferred Option”, since the existing stations will provide at least equivalent benefit if the facilities at existing stations are improved as we suggest.”</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So, I sent off my email to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">thanetparkway@kent.gov.uk On Feb 7th and waited. I nudged some and finally, this evening two days later I got this reply [my added bold]</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />From: Louise Oldfield</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Date: 7 February 2017 at 18:09</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Subject: How will the proposed Thanet Parkway Station affect trains to the existing Thanet towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To: thanetparkway@kent.gov.uk</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">How will the proposed Thanet Parkway Station affect trains to the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">existing Thanet towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. Will there be improvements in the current time it take to arrive</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">from London to the towns?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. Will there be the same number of fast trains to London to and from the towns?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kind regards,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Louise Oldfield</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From: <thanetparkway kent.gov.uk=""></thanetparkway></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Date: 9 February 2017 at 16:42</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Subject: RE: How will the proposed Thanet Parkway Station affect trains to the existing Thanet towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dear Ms Oldfield,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your email, all members of the project team were at a consultation event yesterday and so we were unable to respond to your query before now. Please find a response to each of your questions below:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>1. We expect the benefits from the Journey Time Improvement Scheme (JTI), which involves upgrading the railway line between Ashford and Ramsgate, to deliver about 3 minutes in journey time saving. This will mitigate the additional time taken by trains calling at Thanet Parkway, and so we expect the journey times to and from Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate to be broadly the same as today.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>2. There will be the same number of both high speed and mainline trains between London and the Thanet towns, and all trains that pass Thanet Parkway will call at the station.</b></span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Further information on the project can be found on our website www.kent.gov.uk/thanetparkway, including our consultation booklet and questionnaire.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We hope this answers your queries, however if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us and we will respond as quickly as we can.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kind regards,</span><br />
<br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thanet Parkway Project Team | Kent County Council | Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ | Email: thanetparkway@kent.gov.uk | Visit: www.kent.gov.uk/thanetparkway</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What this says is that the journey times to Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate <b>will be the same</b>. But then there's the word 'broadly'. Now this we should be worried about. What does 'broadly' mean? We saw with the Golf Open in Sandwich that high speed trains were just diverted from stopping at Thanet towns. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What guarantees are there that we won't lose train frequency or suffer increased journey times? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And if we have nothing to gain in times and the number of trains per day, why would Parkway Station in the middle of the countryside with all the added risks of congestion be being billed as improvements for Thanet by Thanet politicians and Council Officers? There is the very real risk that train services will be cut from the existing Thanet towns.<br /><br /></span>Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-20533608878730459992016-09-01T23:14:00.001+01:002016-09-02T00:05:33.644+01:00Nayland Rock Hotel, Margate "mystery owner"<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="f69qf" data-offset-key="9o9fb-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="9o9fb-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From a recent <a href="http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/beach-seaside-english/index.html" target="_blank">article in The Telegraph</a> on Margate's wonderful Nayland Rock hotel:
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<span data-offset-key="9o9fb-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"The hotel is currently without a star to its name, but that according to Carol is about to change. As of last month it has been taken over by a mystery new owner who she is yet to meet. “They are intending to bring it up to a five-star standard,” she says. “Now this place is coming back to what it was."</i></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span data-offset-key="e97qe-0-0" style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No idea why the Telegraph journalist didn't just look up the 'mystery owner' of the Nayland Rock Hotel! It's on the Land Registry as being bought for £1,750,000 by the Bristol based <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02178783/" target="_blank">Tower Pension Trustees Limited</a>. This is the same company that bought the pub at 50 Marine Terrace that was then leased on the same day as purchase on a 20 year lease to t</span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">he operators of Dreamland,</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> </span><a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09094163" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px;" target="_blank">Sands Heritage Limited</a><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span data-offset-key="cs12r-0-0">Further, Sands Heritage Limited Directors Nick Conington and John Adams have set up a new company called <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10175490" target="_blank">Nayland Rock Hotel Margate Limited</a> (</span><span style="border: none; color: #0b0c0c; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: normal;">10175490)</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> which has a 100% shareholder, a company called Brede Hotels Limited.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cs12r-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10077315" target="_blank">Brede Hotels Limited</a> (<span style="border: none; color: #0b0c0c; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: normal;">10077315) also has Nick Conington and John Adams as directors and a shareholder with 100% of the shares a Nicholas Graham Niell. </span></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="cs12r-0-0" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="border: none; color: #0b0c0c; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: normal;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.thehedgefundjournal.com/node/7547" target="_blank">Nick Niell is the boss of the Arrowgrass Master Fund</a>, the hedge-fund that recently lent Sands Heritage Limited £600,000 secured against the Dreamland 100 year lease with Thanet District Council. Arrowgrass is stated in the recent Duff and Phelps administrator's report as now being owed £2.4m by Sands Heritage Limited. See my August 11th post on this <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/the-duff-and-phelps-administrators_11.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Arrowgrass was according to Nick Conington's <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-conington-5a78724a" target="_blank">Linkedin profile</a> his previous employer from 2008 to 2012.
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Niell and Conington were both registered as the inventors of a <span style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;">'</span><span style="color: #333333; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">Media file distribution system and method'</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> on a </span><a href="https://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/patent/p-os/p-find/p-ipsum/Case/PublicationNumber/GB2396927" style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;" target="_blank">UK patent</a><span style="letter-spacing: -0.24px;"> in 2002, </span><span style="color: #333333; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"> which was owned by a company called <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05374877/officers" target="_blank">Digifi Limited</a> (now dissolved). That's six years before Arrowgrass was formed in 2008. A director of Digifi Limited was also John Adams of Sands Heritage Limited.<br /><br />Digifi's <a href="http://www.digitalfidelity.com/partner-digifi-products.htm" target="_blank">website lists they were partnered with Hush Technologies</a> Limited.</span></span></div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-51897647830737206762016-08-12T19:41:00.000+01:002016-08-12T19:41:10.043+01:00Buyer of Nayland Rock Hotel and the pub leased to Dreamland now in receivership<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02178783/filing-history" target="_blank">Bristol based Tower Pension Fund Limited</a> the purchaser of the Punch and Judy pub at 50 Marine Terrace which <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/the-duff-and-phelps-administrators_11.html" target="_blank">was then leased to the operators of Dreamland, Sands Heritage Limited</a> has as of yesterday gone into receivership. <br />
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Tower Based Pension Fund Limited also recently bought another prominent Margate landmark seafront building, The Nayland Rock Hotel for £1,750,000 on June 30th.<br />
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<br />Sands Heritage Limited bosses Nick Conington and John Adams are also directors of a newly formed company called <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10175490/officers" target="_blank">Nayland Rock Hotel Margate Limited</a>.<br />
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<br />Let's hope for the best for Margate seafront, it's iconic landmark buildings the future of Dreamland and the creditors owed money.<br />Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-36183732282360735902016-08-11T19:34:00.004+01:002016-08-11T19:37:18.882+01:00The Duff and Phelps Administrator's Report on Dreamland operators<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqMN4EgoJLY/V6zCj2wizlI/AAAAAAAADVk/vxGTrHgERmI4ryLQHtOxRG7Fuod8PsvpQCLcB/s1600/Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqMN4EgoJLY/V6zCj2wizlI/AAAAAAAADVk/vxGTrHgERmI4ryLQHtOxRG7Fuod8PsvpQCLcB/s320/Snapseed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Club and The Pub"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last week, a Dreamland </span><a href="http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/dreamland-to-continue-to-trade-100160/" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">creditors meeting took place at the Shard Building in London</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. They're the unsecured creditors owed £2.9m out of a total of £8.4m by Dreamland operating company Sands Heritage Limited (SHL) The company is currently running a deficit of £14m. Many of the creditors are Thanet local and small businesses. And it looks likely they'll get a fraction of the money they're owed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In December 2015, directors of Sands Heritage Ltd announced proposed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) and appointed Joint Supervisors CCW Recovery Solutions. The CVA document is available to <a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-prod/docs/BnE-4tLi0WAq5cZvTONnvnHUT2raShfs-R-ZdHbxiAw/application-pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIAJJY5EVHYFUUV3WLQ&Expires=1470938838&Signature=fJKPBCZWT5UvqLBYtt5fMXBZKIU%3D&x-amz-security-token=FQoDYXdzEEUaDIAc506Acxinb358ASKcA6%2BcE36joND7weS6dZCjvp70SfwkFlsunRIH0qPi6chi4c7F80e0eJf2fXTepRcy6kZHCEXs%2B1%2FdQd0dp7N8yuMsn0qzPHNGW10d%2FupI%2B7yFFv4IeOE0Ng%2BmjLOyH37iauOzIj8bb8cDMgkxQXAUDfwfHNU%2B3vt%2FflYqNJGOucu4hl2vv9%2FqqdjmBTbO5VKR05Z23aDfP3UUUUlViPMzajs3wXCjLqzAUXpByhJDgaTqXcvuzNpyQfm9RWU9%2B2B9VqUinHvYT%2BQdeNHlFKVQTZQ0NPxd7L6MLUhytoTqKGpfvA9Vln4bBdIi1k3fcK9%2FyQD7cHm35PKU6PHwwx1fNn4NEdiUR%2Fk0hbLyvJqLD7YxwxaEx01oEpE0DovgwSjq%2BNelQaSTCjDF4TffvuNE7wOU%2Fb0jPqfxyf7xr5RWHvP6BOvNPq82Ljg7J%2FcJ31CUGTDdd4i%2F%2F%2Fg8Hedel8xxHOIAkTxWxjNChjPIl3ViRW7HzwFnZRSALJPjP%2FWenuUF10OGsVFrfSrRN5jHIw8rZB08UUZWmO39Tr6IqI8o7NWxvQU%3D" target="_blank">download here</a>. <br /><br />The CVA stated that SHL Directors approached <i>"certain key creditors, including KCC and Design & Build Limited to see if support could be received in principle to explore the possibility of entering into a CVA..." </i></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzFz0UF36cM/V6yu1NlzdzI/AAAAAAAADUk/GMswwyQVMEIuEyQ-xldWo3eghBO_3BJJACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-08-11%2Bat%2B17.56.55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzFz0UF36cM/V6yu1NlzdzI/AAAAAAAADUk/GMswwyQVMEIuEyQ-xldWo3eghBO_3BJJACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-08-11%2Bat%2B17.56.55.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">SHL then </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-36408268" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;" target="_blank">appointed administrators, Duff and Phelps</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">, who on July 19th 2016 published their own interim report. Download it </span><a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09094163/filing-history/MzE1Mzg0MDM1MGFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"> on the Companies House website. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On reading the Duff and Phelps report, a few points are worth looking at in more detail.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. SHL took on two 20 year commercial leases, one for Escape Nightclub and one for the Punch and Judy pub, both on Marine Terrace, both on January 30th 2015.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />"The Club premises located at 49 Marine Terrace, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XJ over which the Company [SHL] has been granted a 20 year lease commencing on 30 January 2015."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Club is better known as The Escape Nightclub. It was bought by SHL boss, Nick Conington for £500,000 also on 30 January 2015.<br /><br /><i style="color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px;">"5.27 In addition to the lease for the Park, the Company also leases the Pub and the Club from third parties on 20 year leases which both commenced 30 January 2015."</i><br />The Administrator's Report makes no mention of the ownership of the club. It's not stated why Dreamland would need to rent a large nightclub and only mentions one sub-tenant, Phases Dance studio, which sub-leases the top floor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <a href="http://www.2010.voa.gov.uk/rli/en/basic/find/valuation/2010/15291617000/15480947000" target="_blank">business rates valuation</a> for the Club is £62,500 per year. Presumably, SHL aka Dreamland were then responsible for the business rates of the Club.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />The pub at 50 Marine Terrace, also purchased on January 30th 2015 and leased to SHL for 20 years on the same day, locally known as The Punch and Judy . The pub was purchased by a Bristol based pension trust called <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02178783" target="_blank">Tower Pension Trustees Limited</a> (Company number <span style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">02178783).</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <a href="http://www.2010.voa.gov.uk/rli/en/basic/find/assessment-history/2010/15289512000" target="_blank">business rates valuation</a> for the pub is £39,750 per year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px;">2. SHL rented a residential property in Margate's old town at Wisteria Cottage in New Street, CT9 1EG from landlords Wink Developments Limited. </span><span style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /><i style="text-align: start;">"5.31 At the appointment date, the Company also held a short term lease over Wisteria Cottage. Wisteria Cottage was not required for ongoing trading purposes and accordingly the Joint Administrators entered into discussions with Wink Developments in order to arrange a surrender of the lease. The deposit held by Wink Developments totalled £2,406 In accordance with the lease, Wink Developments were entitled to offset amounts due to them for rental arrears from the deposit held, together with any dilapidations. Following correspondence with Wink Developments, and amount of £1,153 was recovered in respect of the rent deposit."</i><br style="text-align: start;" />Wink Developments Limited (Company number </span><span style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">09559791) is the</span><span style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"> company of SHL director, Christopher Rudgard Webster. <a href="http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property/wisteria-cottage/new-street/margate/ct9-1eg/5423148" target="_blank">The house</a>, was purchased on July 17th 2015 for £183,000. The Administrator's Report makes no mention that it is leased from an SHL director, for how much or what for what trading purpose for Dreamland.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. The Administrator's Report states that "<i>In June 2014 the Company was successful in a tender process with TDC to operate the Park" </i>This is incorrect. SHL weren't awarded the tender until November 21st 2014. There were two tender phases. The first in June 2014, when SHL was the only bidder. There was a second tender phase in the autumn of 2014 against other bidders. <a href="https://www.thanet.gov.uk/the-thanet-magazine/press-releases/2014/october/heads-of-terms-agreed-with-potential-dreamland-operator/" target="_blank">Here's the TDC announcement in October 2014</a>.<br /><br /><i>4. "In order to achieve this , the Park was in need of significant renovation works, which commenced in Summer 2014 and had a scheduled completion date of 19 June 2015."</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b0c0c; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">The timeline of events is again incorrect. SHL didn't win the tender to operate the park until November 2014 and didn't commence works in the summer of 2014. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #0b0c0c;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;"><br />There is also no evidence that I've seen of a June 19 2015 opening being discussed in the summer of 2014.</span></span><span style="color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px;"><i>5. "3.9 Arrowgrass had previously expressed an interest in working with the Company"</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b0c0c; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">The report makes no mention of Arrowgrass being SHL director, Nick Conington's previous employer from 2008-2012 as per his <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-conington-5a78724a?authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=jitz&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A175327183%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A3-1-7%2CtarId%3A1470851763154%2Ctas%3Aconin" target="_blank">Linkedin profile</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #0b0c0c;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.arrowgrass.com/" target="_blank">Arrowgrass</a> is a hedge fund offshoot from Deutsche Bank. P</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px;">rior to moving to Arrowgrass.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b0c0c; line-height: 25px;">Nick Conington worked as a Managing Director of Deutsche Bank for 15 years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b0c0c; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;"><br />The report lists a 22 shareholders, they include Nick Conington with 750,000 £1 shares and Christopher Webster has 50,000. <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09559791" target="_blank">Wink Developments Ltd</a>, which is Christopher Webster's company and owns Wisteria Cottage has a further 37,500. John Adams has 100,000 shares and he's also the director of <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08051597/officers" target="_blank">Wyck Consultancy Ltd</a> which also has 10,000 shares. Stephen Groom (presumably the key creditor of Design & Build Limited) has 25,000 shares. Thanet Property developer Graham Knight has 25,000 shares. Dreamland CEO, Eddie Kemsley has 5,000 shares.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b0c0c; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25px;">7. Arrowgrass is now stated to be owed £2,400,000, which is an increase from their original secured loan of <a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-prod/docs/cbha-0HUZ0dPXG7bwrDRTIvj7m0dRo9NSyeCwljvHwI/application-pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIAJMYGOCDH26AOQHGA&Expires=1470938692&Signature=mV%2FydkTiZU%2ForFnwVjor5ppOvgI%3D&x-amz-security-token=FQoDYXdzEEkaDD7JYLFDE2OQZPFyqiKcA%2Fn2Oym4hTUAKzaITMdyRWme6d4%2FWVUWv%2FXTe5a6cUWS36%2FpquvzCKKovaz1bVU%2F6Q2%2FJvihKIFbVgoGrT3VIuoIyGkgAGAKMWnO%2F2HbYL%2BBjbbdAPP5IJ6YVX9Av2B495WxTKcfwknT%2FftI60xotuRGvTtyCyR%2BgeXnoEwG7Ea0OLT57NkYvNGLbmzNt81HlfzT989U0UgLP7rgGliQD8AtiglF08FtoK27xGmOlBRH4c1xJQE%2F7oICgreM950ZiHeLtPWfwmwb4irWnr9POGNgKw%2F19iht%2Bgtqsnx%2BFP%2FFZVzOwQ2Ugw%2FKoVu36nWveDDRltqjdceQ65D2VIRDeQUqHgo3eOuoX5q%2FqMBFZrlL2hVjyd4eovJ%2FgrMFHVpTyZgeMdXehUBnQciJtPKyYj0PSx%2Fo58QiM0mVqNSCi73rRj%2FL2iwSMIlW7HUJ5eWjCAh2lj7t9GVhMEyFbp8yZT9t37Ev8P2J31jcP0pvmY%2BE62XqOoN2J%2BlhAsikHPBS55BJtI%2BwIXrto1JZXqr9Fhv5HKYDMSW0zog1Krco6LWyvQU%3D" target="_blank">£600,000 on May 27 2016</a>.</span></span><br />
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-31628116227366356942016-07-14T22:12:00.000+01:002016-07-14T23:30:01.020+01:00Breaking: Thanet District Council vote against debating motion on racism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanet District Councillors tonight voted against debating a motion proposed by Thanet's Labour Group on racism. The following motion therefore fell:<br />
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<i><b>"We are proud to live in a diverse and tolerant society. Racism, xenophobia and hate crimes have no place in our country.</b></i> </blockquote>
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<i><b>Thanet District Council condemns racism, xenophobia and hate crimes unequivocally.<br />We will not allow hate to become acceptable.</b></i> </blockquote>
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<i><b>This Council will continue to work to ensure local bodies and programmes have the support and resources needed to fight and prevent racism and xenophobia.</b></i> </blockquote>
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<i><b>We reassure all people living in Thanet they are valued members of our community."</b></i></blockquote>
Cries of 'shame' and 'disgrace' erupted from the packed public gallery. <a href="http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=132" target="_blank">Independent Councillor Bill Hayton</a> turned to the public gallery to state he wasn't racist.<br />
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UKIP Councillor Sarah Larkins, also deputy Mayor of Ramsgate, <a href="http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/ukip-councillor-offers-apology-after-93397/" target="_blank">who recently apologised</a> for a Facebook post in which she urged London voters to vote for "anyone but a Muslim" in the London Mayoral election also voted against debating the motion. <br />
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Women pension equality campaigners from the WASPI campaign stood up and walked out in disgust in their lilac campaign sashes. The Council had earlier voted in favour of a motion (again proposed by Thanet Labour] supporting their campaign for equal pension rights for women. <br />
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It was a night where two universal concepts were put to the Council for support and where only one had the support of the Council even in terms of affording it a debate. The women campaigning for equal pension rights could see the problem with not proactively debating the issue of racism. It's a shame the elected Councillors could not.<br />
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Edited to add:<br />
The motion was based on an <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/tell-your-local-council-stand-against-hate-crimes-racism-xenophobia?gclid=CLH-1ZTw880CFQmNGwodYDYECg" target="_blank">Amnesty International campaign</a> encouraging local councils to take a stand against racism and xenophobia:<br />
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"Local leaders must condemn these actions immediately and do everything in their power to make people safe and welcome. Tell your council to speak out against racism, xenophobia and hate crimes now." Follow the hashtag #AgainstHate.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CeR0bDKZQ8Q" width="560"></iframe>Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-39766102687769712692016-06-20T18:05:00.001+01:002016-06-20T20:19:01.885+01:00Dreamland lease assigned for charge to offshore company in Caymen Islands?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Cayman Islands</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was good news from Dreamland over the weekend as it celebrated its first birthday. The park lifted the entrance fee a move met with widespread approval. But <a href="http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/breaking-council-hands-dreamland-to.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">news has emerged today</a> that an offshore company, Arrowgrass Masterfund Limited, based in the Cayman Islands has been assigned the lease to Dreamland from operators, Sands Heritage Limited on May 27th in return for the sum of £600,000. The charge document is available to download for free on the <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09094163/filing-history" target="_blank">Companies House website</a>.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RxJafgtfGI/V2fzUtmm9sI/AAAAAAAADO4/NDiA6GY6Mj4r1h_VTb_HUXVfI9Fm9VU4gCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B13.59.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9RxJafgtfGI/V2fzUtmm9sI/AAAAAAAADO4/NDiA6GY6Mj4r1h_VTb_HUXVfI9Fm9VU4gCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B13.59.01.png" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br />The lease was signed on May 21st 2015 between Thanet District Council and Sands Heritage Limited for the Dreamland site.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKYZvcptkjA/V2f0dmcORwI/AAAAAAAADPU/75i6jaQFwBkw08rfHceSQDoKa1JCnW1kACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B14.03.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKYZvcptkjA/V2f0dmcORwI/AAAAAAAADPU/75i6jaQFwBkw08rfHceSQDoKa1JCnW1kACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B14.03.43.png" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sands Heritage Limited recently <a href="http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/dreamland-cash-crisis-operator-sands-heritage/story-28319770-detail/story.html" target="_blank">went administration</a> owing creditors just under £3m. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The agreement states Arrowgrass Masterfund Limited loan is for £600,000. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KUqQNYIadVY/V2f0XgxZQCI/AAAAAAAADPE/xkCnGk7_2BcQlQzdZUlyiztQwiuHG3A7gCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B13.59.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="45" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KUqQNYIadVY/V2f0XgxZQCI/AAAAAAAADPE/xkCnGk7_2BcQlQzdZUlyiztQwiuHG3A7gCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B13.59.17.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Who are Arrowgrass Masterfund Limited?</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, we don't know, because the company is registered <a href="http://openleis.com/legal_entities/6J362NQ5BHY6GDZGQ456/Arrowgrass-Master-Fund-Ltd" target="_blank">off shore.</a> But we have heard of Arrowgrass Capital Partners LLP and this is listed as their correspondence address in the UK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Arrowgrass Capital Partners LLP is the hedgefund that Sands Heritage Limited boss, Nick Conington lists on his Linkedin page as having worked for from 2008 to 2012. Arrowgrass Capital Partners <a href="http://www.thehedgefundjournal.com/node/7547" target="_blank">grew</a> <span style="color: #474747; line-height: 19.5px;">out of the market leading convertible bond franchise at Deutsche Bank.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aCRtT17fB7o/V2f1mUD3mhI/AAAAAAAADPg/F1oQtZ2pH0gwQ9pGMTKwUoFbL1IXtwanACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B13.43.44.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="54" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aCRtT17fB7o/V2f1mUD3mhI/AAAAAAAADPg/F1oQtZ2pH0gwQ9pGMTKwUoFbL1IXtwanACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B13.43.44.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Linkedin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #474747; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #474747; line-height: 19.5px;">Companies House records also show a </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7f18LgOL8lvby1tTGZRcFpwSmM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">further charge of £1m</a> to Sands Heritage Limited from June 1st 2015 from a Christopher John Mahoney who is based in the Netherlands. Mahoney and Conington were both part of the winning Oxford University boat race crew in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boat_Race_1980#Crews" target="_blank">1980</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ksef9apxQEE/V2f7MXDa5-I/AAAAAAAADPw/9Uv4l7RPcMYhPwe363pHgZZco1wbazwHACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B15.17.44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ksef9apxQEE/V2f7MXDa5-I/AAAAAAAADPw/9Uv4l7RPcMYhPwe363pHgZZco1wbazwHACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-20%2Bat%2B15.17.44.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Oxford Cambridge boat race crews 1980</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mahoney, is a retired director of agriculture trading of the world's largest commodities trading company, Glencore. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/well-make-a-killing-out-of-food-crisis-glencore-trading-boss-chris-mahoney-boasts-8073806.html" target="_blank">A headline in the Independent</a> stated:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"We'll make a killing out of food crisis, Glencore trading boss Chris Mahoney boasts" </i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #281e1e; line-height: 28px;">With Mahoney quoted: </span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #281e1e; line-height: 28px;">"The environment is a good one. High prices, lots of volatility, a lot of dislocation, tightness, a lot of arbitrage opportunities.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #281e1e; line-height: 28px;">"We will be able to provide the world with solutions... and that should also be good for Glencore."</span></span></i></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br />Surely, questions now arise:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">- What does the agreement between Arrowgrass Masterfund Limited and Sands Heritage Limited mean for the future of Dreamland as an amusement park? </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Has the future operation of Dreamland been transferred to an offshore company? What role did freeholders and funders Thanet District Council play in the transfer? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">- What role do funding partners The Dreamland Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund play?<br /><br />- Is Dreamland as an amusement park safe from being developed into anything other than an amusement park?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Post edit:<br />Ed Targett has also published a <a href="https://greentargett.com/2016/06/20/dreamland-off-to-the-cayman-isles/" target="_blank">post </a></span></div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-9583866457471657112016-06-01T19:26:00.003+01:002016-06-01T22:36:36.462+01:00Save Dreamland...Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MXkStGK_Ny8/V09VFDBGOZI/AAAAAAAADNU/Ae1XZv4dOhwXOBkhU1WW2bZYzGN9c831wCLcB/s1600/13346318_10154030841730380_432897860031350240_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MXkStGK_Ny8/V09VFDBGOZI/AAAAAAAADNU/Ae1XZv4dOhwXOBkhU1WW2bZYzGN9c831wCLcB/s320/13346318_10154030841730380_432897860031350240_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Dreamland-operators-enter-trading-administration/story-29334126-detail/story.html" target="_blank">News broke</a> over the weekend that <a href="https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09094163" target="_blank">Sands Heritage Limited</a> (SHL) the company chosen by Thanet District Council in <a href="https://www.thanet.gov.uk/the-thanet-magazine/press-releases/2014/october/heads-of-terms-agreed-with-potential-dreamland-operator/" target="_blank">November 2014</a> as the preferred operator to run Dreamland, has gone into administration. The fact that SHL haven't made it through a full year since s<a href="http://m.propertyweek.com/in-depth/market-features/former-banker-finds-his-dreamland-comes-true-in-reviving-margate/5077518.article" target="_blank">igning the lease agreement the night before</a> Margate's historic amusement park opened on June 19th 2015 is shocking. Sadly, however, unsurprising. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic;">“We signed the lease the night before we opened in June, after a year </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic;">of negotiation,” he says. “It was a very complex deal."</span><i> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Nick Conington, Chairman of Sands Heritage Ltd, Property Week, November 6, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What's incredibly frustrating is how it's come to this. Dreamland is <i>the</i> historic Margate brand, internationally renowned the world over, over many generations of holidaymakers. The subject of a twelve year campaign of sheer will and hard graft by a dedicated group of die hard volunteers and many many supporters wider afield. It developed from a grass roots campaign into a charitable trust. Yet when SHL's marketing and sponsorship manager describes Dreamland as: "<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">one of the South East’s best kept secrets, but as we approach our one-year anniversary, the time has come to grow awareness nationwide. " </i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">you know you might need to worry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />It's easy to forget that there wouldn't be a Dreamland for SHL to sell brand partnerships with without this campaign. After all the hard work of legally securing the site from developers, Dreamland was handed into the care of officials who's job it was to take it forward to the finish line of opening to the public. The people who really cared for it as a vision aren't the people who decided to open it on June 19th 2015. This early date also raised eyebrows at the Heritage Lottery Fund, Dreamland's principle grant funder in an email to the Dreamland Trust on May 1st 2015, released by a Freedom of Information request stating that SHL should bear the full responsibility of this decision. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvl3qCFlUVw/V08GYxb_NoI/AAAAAAAADMY/vRsjwOjsq2AYHVNhsTqhZqDeEmttaYjxQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-29%2Bat%2B18.13.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvl3qCFlUVw/V08GYxb_NoI/AAAAAAAADMY/vRsjwOjsq2AYHVNhsTqhZqDeEmttaYjxQCLcB/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-29%2Bat%2B18.13.31.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Somewhere along the line, care hasn't been taken to keep this publicly funded project to the tune of millions on track (where is the heritage and education learning centre?), ensuring the best outcome for Margate and for the people who put in literally thousands of hours into ensuring Dreamland didn't become another lucrative residential and retail development site in the centre of town.<br /><br />The fact that we the public are still far from clear about the legal status of Sands Heritage Limited's now 100 years lease (negotiated up from 25 years during the tender process) tells us something. </span></div>
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Quite simply, what most people want to know: is Dreamland safe? </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />If a commercial operator like SHL fail to make a viable go of Dreamland, will SHL's conduct be assessed and Dreamland as a park come back to the Thanet Council for another potential operator to have a go at running the park in the model it was publicly funded for?</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3mf4sAXOfA0/V08cQ8uRLkI/AAAAAAAADMs/g6DA8Mo8ZqU-ZvqKKx2iNCU38jOeVMVCwCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-31%2Bat%2B08.49.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3mf4sAXOfA0/V08cQ8uRLkI/AAAAAAAADMs/g6DA8Mo8ZqU-ZvqKKx2iNCU38jOeVMVCwCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-31%2Bat%2B08.49.32.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because it seems to me that the people involved in Dreamland in the last 18 months aren't working on the Dreamland I'd envisaged through the campaign period. The other day, I came across Sands Heritage Limited appointed PR firm Kallaway claim to having </span><a href="http://www.kallaway.com/success-stories/item/id/25" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">"increased ticket sales by 500%' </a>(that and raising house prices in the area by 24%!) <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">for the same time period SHL were claiming at court poor ticket sales as the reason they'd amassed almost £3m of debts and laying the blame at the door of Thanet District Council for, among other aspects, not getting The Scenic Railway up and running in time for their June 19th 2015 launch. <br /><br />SHL having signed the lease on the 18th of June and having had a number of regular meetings with the Council will no doubt have been aware of the status of the Scenic Railway. All available evidence so far released show it was SHL that pushed for that June 2015 opening date. I've yet to see a document of SHL complaining the Scenic not being open for June 19th was going to ruin their plans. If anyone has got this evidence, I'd love to see it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After entering mediation, Thanet Council handed SHL a further £1,050,000 in December 2015 and rumour has it a further seven years rent free on top of the initial seven, bringing it to 14 years rent free.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Who knew that after the major campaign victory of the securing the site via a lengthy compulsory purchase legal battle that the Save Dreamland badges and posters might have to again come out of the cupboard to fight for the park's future? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, perhaps those of us that questioned SHL's lack of experience in amusement parks compared to other bidders. And as Ed Targett has pointed out on his blog posts </span><a href="https://greentargett.com/2016/05/30/dreamland-veni-vidi-vanishi/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and </span><a href="https://greentargett.com/2016/05/31/dreamland-again/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> even their </span><a href="https://greentargett.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/this-link.pdf" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">CVA (company voluntary agreement) </a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">was fantastical in claiming they would bring in £7m in revenue between November 2015 and November 2016. Do cast your mind back to how many days Dreamland was actually open from December 2015 to now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are many questions to be answered. So many, that I think only a public inquiry will do. Dreamland is a big deal to Margate. It's a big deal to Thanet, a district that can ill afford to lose this amount of money and a valuable seafront leisure asset. We need to scrutiny of the figures and scrutiny of the management of this crucial 12 year project.<br /><br />How much public money has actually been invested and how much have SHL invested? <br /><br />According to a Thanet Council's <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7f18LgOL8lvVl95cmhWdUZOTEU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">presentation</a> to the <a href="http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=142&MId=4219" target="_blank">Corporate Review Working Party on September 30th 2015</a>, SHL were listed as having invested only £200,000 with the vast share of investment picked up by the public purse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Save Dreamland...Again! #SaveDreamlandAgain<br /><br />Post edit: Do contact me if you can shed any light on any of the mysteries in this post. </span></div>
Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0Margate, Kent, UK51.389646000000013 1.38683390000005651.350000500000014 1.306152900000056 51.429291500000012 1.467514900000056tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-68862421953029789142016-05-08T15:38:00.004+01:002016-05-08T15:44:21.044+01:00Dreamland operators bring in brand partnership specialists, Brand and Deliver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--lLcymMrE6Q/Vy80laO0SZI/AAAAAAAADKo/eCESF89Xds4iNgZGJcTLpVUhMtAHUB2rgCLcB/s1600/Dreamland-20160506111608204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--lLcymMrE6Q/Vy80laO0SZI/AAAAAAAADKo/eCESF89Xds4iNgZGJcTLpVUhMtAHUB2rgCLcB/s320/Dreamland-20160506111608204.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/brand-partnership-drive-dreamland-margate/brands/article/1393952" target="_blank">An article in Event Magazine</a> has reported that the operators of Dreamland Margate [Sands Heritage Limited] have brought in entertainment brand partnership specialists, <a href="http://www.brandanddeliver.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brand and Deliver</a> to: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><i><b>"</b></i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i><b>to devise and manage a promotional campaign based on seasonable sponsorship and awareness-driving brand partnerships for the amusement park."</b></i><br /><br />At first, I thought it was a feature on Margate's hottest satirical blog, the brilliantly finger-on-the-pulse, <a href="http://thedailymargz.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Daily Margz</a>. But no, checking out Brand and Deliver's twitter feed, it's a for real thing.<br /><br />From the list of brands, Brand and Deliver <a href="http://www.brandanddeliver.co.uk/about/" target="_blank">work for,</a> it seems an interesting pairing for a brand like Dreamland. </span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1zt9qHb2MQ/Vy8zjdYMYzI/AAAAAAAADKg/RPia1HG-ojEfJ1o_roYzu8GP6HbpEHw1wCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-08%2Bat%2B13.32.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1zt9qHb2MQ/Vy8zjdYMYzI/AAAAAAAADKg/RPia1HG-ojEfJ1o_roYzu8GP6HbpEHw1wCLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-08%2Bat%2B13.32.17.png" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><br /><br />Dreamland is the beating heart of Margate that re-launched in June last year after a 12-year grass roots campaign and a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2015/jun/10/margate-dreamland-seaside-fairground-reopening" target="_blank">reported £30m of public funding</a>, centred around heritage and education. Dreamland is one of the world's best loved and well known amusement parks. i.e. Dreamland is already a very well known international brand in its own right.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But the article then goes on to say:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Katie Lipington, marketing and sponsorship manager at Dreamland Margate, said: "Dreamland is one of the South East’s best kept secrets, but as we approach our one-year anniversary, the time has come to grow awareness nationwide. We’re looking forward to working with brands that can help us spread the word about Dreamland’s unique seaside magic and make it a go-to destination for old-fashioned thrill seekers everywhere."</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A brand partnership deal would surely be pairing corporate brands with the better known Dreamland brand? And in that sense, I can see that's lucrative. The question is, for whom? And is it a good thing?</span></span><br />
<br />Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-57068887182878778882016-04-20T11:22:00.001+01:002016-04-20T11:22:52.467+01:00Thanet Council, Margate Seafront Development Steering Group and the proposed RNLI Lifeboat Station<div class="p1">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The proposed RNLI Lifeboat Station</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">After reading in the <a href="http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Private-cash-sought-new-pound-10m-hotel-scheme/story-28716553-detail/story.html" target="_blank">Thanet Gazette in February this year</a> about the Margate Seafront Development Steering Group (MSDSG) and it's involvement in the ongoing proposal for a hotel at the Rendezvous site behind Turner Contemporary, I was surprised.<br /><br />I’d never heard of MSDSG or how it steered Margate's seafront development. <br /><br />The Rendezvous site is currently occupied by the RNLI lifeboat station. The development of the site for a hotel requires the life boat station to be relocated. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The current proposal to put a new lifeboat station on the main sands has caused great controversy and we're told there's no better location. So I thought it worth looking into how the MSDSG had addressed the issue and when.<br /><br />I tried to find information about the MSDSG on the TDC website. I've found no evidence of it reporting to Thanet District Council, stakeholder groups or Cabinet.<br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span>A Google search also revealed nothing.<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtSxhkE-vlQ/VxcizODRhMI/AAAAAAAADI4/6y2h5Rb9V9EOMVWw97PRst8eTk2QTQ_SwCK4B/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-16%2Bat%2B17.14.52.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtSxhkE-vlQ/VxcizODRhMI/AAAAAAAADI4/6y2h5Rb9V9EOMVWw97PRst8eTk2QTQ_SwCK4B/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-16%2Bat%2B17.14.52.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xtSxhkE-vlQ/VxcizODRhMI/AAAAAAAADI4/6y2h5Rb9V9EOMVWw97PRst8eTk2QTQ_SwCK4B/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-16%2Bat%2B17.14.52.png" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-20fApvqdh-0/Vxci2brIsfI/AAAAAAAADJA/nFbF722oOM4J78FBwpt_JyLqx7pCyMmTgCK4B/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-16%2Bat%2B17.15.16.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-20fApvqdh-0/Vxci2brIsfI/AAAAAAAADJA/nFbF722oOM4J78FBwpt_JyLqx7pCyMmTgCK4B/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-16%2Bat%2B17.15.16.png" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br />
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<span class="s1">So, I made two Freedom of Information requests. One to <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/details_of_the_margate_seafront#comment-67715" target="_blank">Thanet District Council</a> and the other the <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_about_the_margate_se#incoming-790451" target="_blank">Kent County Council</a>. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Thanet District Council initially responded by stating they held no information about the Margate Seafront Development Steering Group and suggested the Kent County Council might. This might lead you to believe that Thanet District Council had nothing to do with the group. I then requested an Internal Review of this decision. This takes extra time, beyond the initial 20-day limit. They then replied stating that they did in fact hold information on the MSDSG, but they were withholding the information under Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) on the grounds of that it would be:<br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">"(prejudicial to the conduct of public </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px;"><i>affairs)," </i>presumably because release of further information<i> "would, or would likely to, inhibit - (i) the free and frank </i></span></span></span><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;">provision of advice, or (ii) the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of </i><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;">deliberation, or (c) would otherwise prejudice, or would be likely otherwise to </i><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;">prejudice, the effective conduct of public affairs.”</i></blockquote>
It is a little ironic that a local authority can first misinform a member of the public seeking information about the town in which they live, and then invoke an exemption to the FOI on the grounds that answering candidly would be <i>“prejudicial to the conduct of public affairs.”<br /></i><br />
In terms of the public interest test there is a compellingn argument that discussions relating to public realm issues should be carried out in an open manner with the public having access to all the available information.<br />
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<span class="s1">crutinise the MSDSG or how it has reported back to the authority, as there is no record. If I’d taken Thanet District Council at their first word, we wouldn't even know that the group has included Chief Executive and the Leader over three administrations.<br /><br />Current TDC members of MSDSG are:<br /><br />Madeline Homer, Chief Executive<br />Councillor Chris Wells, Leader<br />Rob Kenyon, Director of Community Services</span><div class="p2">
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<span class="s1">Kent County Council were more forthcoming. Firstly, they requested extra time to consider whether they were also considering applying a S36 exemption. They then <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_about_the_margate_se#incoming-790451" target="_blank">released minutes</a> from the MSDSG going back three years to January 2013. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It turns out the group was formally set up in February 2013 and the membership outlined in their Terms and References as:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>“There will be Member and senior officer representation from both local authorities. In recognition of their strategic role, the Steering Group will be chaired by the Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities. There will also be senior officer representation from the appropriate KCC directorates. The Vice Chairman of the group will be the Leader of Thanet District Council which will also provide appropriate senior officer participation. Turner Contemporary is invited to join the group either at Board Level or at Director/Deputy level.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span class="s1">The group was to report to back as follows:</span></div>
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<i><span class="s2">“</span><span class="s1">The local authority representatives will report back through their own authority Cabinets and Turner Contemporary through the Trust Board.”</span></i></blockquote>
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<span class="s1">Which we know there's no evidence of. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The stated topics of interest for the MSDSG were two sites: the Rendezvous and Winter Gardens along with the ensuring the success of Turner Contemporary and Dreamland:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>“The development of the key sites of the Rendezvous and Winter Gardens has long been seen to be vital to the long term regeneration of Margate. The tremendous success of the first phase which was the construction of Turner Contemporary, reinforces the urgency to build on this success and achieve the critical mass which the full development of both these sites will provide. It is this critical mass of visitor attractions which is needed for the regeneration of Margate.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span class="s1">Yet, we see reported throughout the meeting minutes covering a three year period, that other key sites in Margate have been the topic of discussion and of interest for the group. Including the Cliftonville Lido, Theatre Royal and the RNLI’s move to the Main Sands. <br /><br />The RNLI move from the Rendezvous site to the main sands and the proposed hotel on the Rendezvous site both involving planning applications to Thanet District Council and was discussed at the very first meeting in January 2013. The planning permission only being requested later in 2015.</span></div>
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There’s also discussion of how members of Thanet District Council’s Planning Committee might be in favour of a proposal, before the planning application was presented to members of the Planning Committee: in October 2015. <br /><br />MSDSG is made up of the bosses from the two decision-making authorities: Kent County Council and Thanet District Council. There are apparently no records of how these members reported back to Cabinet or officers at the Council.<br /></div>
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It is baffling that one of these decision-making authorities first denied the existence of the Steering Group and then sought to withhold information about its deliberations. Margate needs to discuss its future in an open and transparent way. At the moment time and public resources are being used to develop plans in isolation and then foist them on the public.</div>
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<span class="s1">You can still give your objections or support for the RNLI proposal to build on Margate Main Sands. The deadline is <b>today, Wednesday April 20th</b>. You can do this on the <a href="https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/" target="_blank">Planning Portal</a> with the reference <b>F/TH/15/1239</b>. <br /><br />There have been an unprecedented number of objections to the proposal. Perhaps if TDC and KCC bosses had actually reported back to their respective authorities in an open and transparent manner from 2013, two years before the planning permission was submitted, the public could have expressed their opinions at an earlier stage alerting the authorities to how much they treasure the main sands. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There's also the petition on Change.org against the proposal from <a href="https://www.change.org/p/thanet-district-council-save-our-sands?recruiter=224827441&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg&fb_ref=Default" target="_blank">Save Our Sands</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Save Our Sands Facebook Group:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550462518602634/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550462518602634/</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Here’s excerpts from the MSDSG Minutes over the three years from 2013 on the RNLI Lifeboat Station move:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>January 9th 2013:</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">CH [Clive Hart, Leader TDC] also expressed concern that the Lifeboat Organisation is unable to stay at the site due to the size of the new lifeboat and wish to move further down the coast. MH [Mike Hill, KCC] will obtain an update on this but all stakeholders have been consulted and this will be factored into the master plan. CH felt that a public viewing platform would be a good idea as this area would provide excellent views which would draw people in.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">March 20th 2013</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The RNLI are submitting a planning application to relocate onto the beach front (to the same position they had when Turner Contemporary was being built). No funding is available for this at the moment. It is hoped to have the facility open for when the new lifeboat arrives (2016) as the new boat is too large for the current site. Margate Yacht Club could possibly occupy the RNLI building which could be a cost effective solution. Property are discussing with RNLI to find out if planning approval has been received (Thanet District Council confirmed that the planning application had not yet been submitted). Other possibilities are being looked at by Guy Holloway. The proposals from Guy Holloway will need to be signed off by the Margate Steering Group before taking forward. Guy Holloway is due to make a presentation on 2 April when the plans will be updated from the comments made. Clive Hart (CH) expressed concern that local Councillors have not been consulted and it was suggested that once the master plan has been produced this should be shared with local Councillors. There may be opposition if the RNLI moved sites if views were obscured. There may also be issues with the volleyball facilities. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Amanda Honey (AH) stressed the need to resolve the lifeboat site issue. It would be useful if Thanet District Council could check what position the RNLI are in. Guy Holloway needs to be informed to work on the status quo.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">July 31st 2013</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The RNLI would like to move away from the site but are unable to do this at present due to the financial implications.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">March 12th 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The RNLI have contacted Thanet District Council regarding moving from the existing site. Positioning needs to be discussed and Mho [Madeline Homer, TDC] will pick-up this issue.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">October 1st 2015</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The RNLI will be moving from the site and this will open up wider possibilities. Mho confirmed the planning application has been submitted. It is hoped that the new site will be on the Margate sands. The general view is that planning will be granted. The existing building is owned by KCC. Margate Yacht Club is keen to take over the site of the RNLI but this is unlikely to be approved. KE to come back with the date for the RNLI exhibition of plans.</span></div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-79230534814485817722016-01-25T17:31:00.000+00:002016-01-25T19:01:07.149+00:00The BBC's 'exclusive' GVA Report on Dreamland February 2015Tonight's BBC South East will run another feature on Dreamland. This time, they're running another 'exclusive' on a report by planning consultants GVA from February 2015. <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/267878/response/663021/attach/32/Operator%20Procurement%20letter%20February%202015.pdf" target="_blank">This report </a>was again released as part of my <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_regarding_dreamland#incoming-758400" target="_blank">Freedom of Information Request to the Heritage Lottery Fund</a>. It was actually released to the public domain on June 10th 2015. This was before the lease to operate the park was signed by Sands Heritage Ltd on June 18th with the park opening the following day on the 19th.<br />
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In the programme it seems the BBC will make quite a deal about GVA's description of Dreamland as a <i>'speculative'</i> project. This reminds me of how Dreamland as a project was described as 'nebulous' at the High Court during my Arlington case by the legal representatives for the Secretary of State and landlords Freshwater.<br /><br />
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<br />The facts of the matter are, that Dreamland, as a publicly funded project to the tune of millions was part of a process that spanned over a decade, and as such went through intense scrutiny. If you've ever seen a Heritage Lottery Funding application process for this amount of money, you would know what the very meaning of scrutiny is. It's eye watering. It was undertaken mainly by volunteers who dedicated literally thousands of hours to get this through many stages.<br />
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So, let's be careful about viability assessments of Dreamland as a park in comparison to other so called comparable operations. What we should see is the same rigour applied to the procurement process of the park operator. <br />
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Let's be careful not to confuse Dreamland as it was proposed and funded to be as opposed to the park operator or land value.<br />
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Dreamland as a project has the backing of the public. It's crucial to Margate and the wider area. I've worked in PR and marketing all of my adult life. The decision to open the park early rests with those who signed the lease on June 18th 2015 and opened the park on June 19th. <br />
<br />Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-65937630101685503612016-01-20T18:10:00.002+00:002016-01-20T20:16:05.679+00:00The latest Dreamland Freedom of Information ReleaseThis week the Heritage Lottery Fund released a series of previously withheld documents from a <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_regarding_dreamland#outgoing-508263" target="_blank">Freedom of Information Request</a> I'd issued back on May 13th 2015. The request is in the public domain on the excellent <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/" target="_blank">What Do They Know</a> website. The documents released reveal a worrying level of what I think can be honestly described as anger and concern from the main funder of the £28m publicly funded project in the weeks running up to the park opening on June 19th. In particular this <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/267878/response/755710/attach/6/T30.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>.<br />
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing said someone somewhere. What we now know is that Sands Heritage Limited the chosen operator of Dreamland <a href="http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Dreamland-cash-crisis-operator-Sands-Heritage/story-28319770-detail/story.html" target="_blank">hit the financial skids six months in</a> and sought legal action laying the blame at the door of Thanet District Council. Scroll down for the debt document of creditors on Ed Targett's blog <a href="http://greentargett.com/2015/12/11/phoenix-or-chimera-the-dreamland-burnout/" target="_blank">here</a>. The result of this action has local businesses having to agree to wait up to 5 years for payment for debts of £2.9m.<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></span>I understand the detail of how these debts were accrued are subject to gagging orders.<br />
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Dreamland is a crucial project for Margate and £30m is a lot of public money. By comparison, Turner Contemporary came in at £18m. Thousands of hours of volunteer work went in from the public over a 12 year period to fight against the closure of the site as a working park and secured the said millions in funding. It's for this reason that the issue of who operates the park is of public interest and that the best people come out as being chosen.<br />
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I was interviewed today by BBC South East about the FOI and it will run tonight.<br />
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<br /><br />My hope, as I'm sure most of Margate share, is that everyone with the responsibility to steer the good ship Dreamland and its associated funding does just that. If you haven't read it already, <a href="http://greentargett.com/2016/01/18/dreamland/" target="_blank">Ed Targett's post</a> earlier in the week is very good.<br />
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With all things that are public projects, openness and transparency is key.Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-38056854635517989892015-08-12T20:25:00.001+01:002015-08-12T21:30:36.276+01:0011 and 13 Marine Gardens<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This week I notified Thanet Council's Planning Enforcement department regarding a couple of sites along the seafront at Marine Gardens that are really dragging the area down. Specifically, 11 Marine Gardens and Clock Tower News at 13 Marine Gardens. <br /><br />Wouldn't it be great for the whole of the seafront to be improved now Dreamland is open?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>11 Marine Gardens</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b>Grade II Listed Georgian building that had until a few years ago stood empty for years with a commercial restaurant space at ground level. Sadly, it was granted permission to be converted into flats, including at the ground floor and basement levels. The resulting flat at ground floor on this busy road now has curtains pulled across the doors at all the time and have resulted in the loss of what would now be a viable commercial space. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXbNZoGZGaA/VcucQYQFYwI/AAAAAAAAC7c/gDu188Z8V54/s1600/2015-08-12%2B18.35.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXbNZoGZGaA/VcucQYQFYwI/AAAAAAAAC7c/gDu188Z8V54/s320/2015-08-12%2B18.35.24.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a very tiny window at ground floor level for the basement flat with a large Euro Bin that stands immediately in front of it. This surely isn't a good idea in front of a basement flat window. <br />This is adjacent to the busy seafront narrow stretch of pavement and the bin is often overflowing. <br /><br />The reply I got from Planning Enforcement today stated:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>I have checked the planning history and can advise the reference number application ( listed building ) you provided is for a withdrawn application The associated planning application was refused. The last approved planning application for a conversion to flats , does not have any conditions relating to bin storage. There is therefore , nothing I can enforce. I would respectfully suggest , you contact the Councils waste area for assistance."</i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Surely, one avenue the Council could pursue is a Section 215 Notice? This is the legislation that authorities can utilise to deal with general eye sore problems. <a href="http://www.no-use-empty.org/case-studies/Section215" target="_blank">Guidance on Section 215 Notices</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">SCOPE OF POWER</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px;">Section 215 can be used effectively on large vacant industrial sites, town centre street frontages, rural sites, derelict buildings, and semi-complete development as well as the more typical rundown residential properties and overgrown gardens.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px;">The scope of works that can be required in s215 notices is wide and includes planting, clearance, tidying, enclosure, demolition, re-building, external repairs and repainting."</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Clocktower News - 13 Marine Gardens</b> </span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qd0um961qDc/VcucQavQ02I/AAAAAAAAC7g/L1VEhnOF2Fc/s1600/2015-08-12%2B18.35.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qd0um961qDc/VcucQavQ02I/AAAAAAAAC7g/L1VEhnOF2Fc/s320/2015-08-12%2B18.35.55.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />An empty ground floor shop in a Grade II Listed Georgian building situated at a busy seafront location. The frontage is very run down with lights hanging off. The tiled area in front of the shop is in poor condition and used by the public to walk on around the corner, yet it's privately owned. </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSk4Hk5JA3Q/VcucRmhJ9ZI/AAAAAAAAC7w/CHw_TFZTfIo/s1600/2015-08-12%2B18.36.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSk4Hk5JA3Q/VcucRmhJ9ZI/AAAAAAAAC7w/CHw_TFZTfIo/s320/2015-08-12%2B18.36.04.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Planning Enforcement today stated:</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I have taken a look at the photo you have provided and am of the opinion , that it does not warrant any action yet , under the planning act."</i></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Again, I would have thought that a Section 215 Notice would be applicable here.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span>Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-64444606921833381132015-05-22T18:10:00.000+01:002015-05-22T18:10:33.070+01:00Owners of Thanet Press are appealingI got a letter today from Thanet Council dated May 21st 2015. It states the Baird Group who are owners of the Thanet Press site are appealing Thanet Council's decision to refuse GTL Property Management Ltd's application for 2 x 4 storey buildings with 64 one and two bed flats and the demolition of the existing Thanet Press buildings. Appeal ref: APP/Z2260/W/15/3013844.<br />
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The letter states the Council received the appeal on 05/03/2015 and that the appeal start date was 15/05/2015.<br />
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I went along this evening to view the files at the Thanet Gateway aka Margate Library. There were no files to view.<br />
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One has to question why an appeal that was received on 05/03/2015 and that started on 15/05/2015 is only being notified by letter on 21/05/2015. And of course the obvious; where are the appeal files?<br />
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No doubt all will be revealed on Tuesday after the bank holiday.<br />
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In the meantime, we now face an appeal to try to save this historic print press site that could provide many jobs.<br />
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<br />MAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14647405289239295058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-69435352735511766822015-04-21T11:04:00.001+01:002015-04-21T11:07:54.298+01:00Iris Johnston replies regarding ArlingtonI had a reply from Labour Councillor Iris Johnston to my tweet to her regarding the Arlington shops and car park. Iris emailed on her personal BT Internet account. I've published her reply, but I'm left wondering why the Leader of the Council is sending emails in a breach of Thanet Council's email usage guidance, given their stance on this matter.:<br /><br /> <a href="https://louiseoldfield.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-21-at-10-35-46.png"><img alt="Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 10.35.46" class=" size-medium wp-image-96 aligncenter" height="177" src="https://louiseoldfield.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-21-at-10-35-46.png?w=300" width="300" /></a><br />
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Iris replied to me via email and requested I publish her reply.<br />
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From: Iris johnston<br />
Date: 20 April 2015 at 16:42<br />
Subject: Fwd: Louise Oldfield (@margatearchi)<br />
To: Louise Oldfield
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Please could you publish my response Louise.Sent from my iPad</div>
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Begin forwarded message:</div>
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<b>From:</b> Iris johnston </div>
<b>Date:</b> 20 April 2015 07:19:00 BST <b>To:</b> "Louise Oldfield (via Twitter)"
<b>Subject:</b> <b>Re: Louise Oldfield (@margatearchi) mentioned you on Twitter!</b></blockquote>
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Thank you a Louise
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I have been asking Freswater to reopen the car park from the first days it closed and specially every summer when I have to go down to resolve parking issues. They have now opened a section and I am working on getting the rest.</div>
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When they planned to close the shops (when awaiting the Tesco store ) I arranged for the then tenants to have an extended tenure and fought with them for compensation.</div>
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Freshwater have a contract with Tesco that is now involved in a legal discussion. They also have others interested in the site.</div>
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Long term Residents will know that for the last thirty years I have been there for them and since I became a Councillor fought for them on a wide range of issues including challenging Freshwater from the masts on the roof to ensuring the occupiers keep their car parking rights.</div>
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Sent from my iPad</div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-59503735613003645902015-04-16T16:26:00.000+01:002015-04-16T16:26:07.669+01:00Arlington car park is open to the public!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />I was over at Arlington yesterday afternoon and saw that car parking spaces have been marked out in red on the public car park. I was visiting Arlington House because as the local Green Party candidates we've been working hard to secure a good future for the site.<br /><br />
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A small number of car parking spaces at Arlington House’s 500-space car park (still shut to the public in breach of their contract with the council) have been opened up.
The council has previously said it’s closed due to health and safety concerns.
The spaces have been granted via Councillor Iris Johnston and landlords Freshwater to <a href="http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/attractions/club-world/8318">Children's Club World</a>, a play centre on Marine Drive.
(The play centre were in the press a few weeks ago complaining about the loss of their car parking at the Beacon Bingo site to Dreamland. They now offer free parking to their customers from these bays at Arlington…)<br />
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I’m pleased that local parents have somewhere to park when they take their kids to play at this local business. And it's great news the carpark is safe after all.
When I spoke to TDC’s parking department today however they said: “Thanet Council parking office have not granted permission to anyone to use the Arlington site car park. I do know that Cllr Johnston was involved in some sort of arrangement that was made between Club World and the lease holders of the Arlington Site it might be best to speak to her..."<br />
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If the Arlington car park is ok for customers of the play centre to park there, then surely it should now be open to the rest of the public and for Dreamland’s opening. Let's see the gates opened wider.Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-71377989011556045602015-04-15T11:39:00.004+01:002015-04-15T11:39:42.590+01:00Vote for the Little Oasis Skate Park!Last year, a group of young people came together and built a skate park on the derelict Council owned Little Oasis Crazy golf site in Cliftonville. Wonderful things began to happen; Visitors came from far and wide to their park.
Here's a video of their efforts before the park was destroyed.
<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RE3VbmEi3Cc" width="560"></iframe>
<br /><br /> Then the worst thing happened; At 6am one morning, Labour controlled Thanet Council sent in a team, with security guards in support, and <a href="http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Fury-council-bulldoze-popular-skate-park/story-20860112-detail/story.html" target="_blank">smashed their skate park to rubble</a>. One year later, this is what still remains of their park and the Council have stated they are now in talks with an unknown company with a commercial interest in the site. This is one of the most shameful acts of Thanet Council that I've heard of in the eight years that I've lived here. It's an issue that I've continued to question the Council about.
<br /><br /> Last night I saw that Little Oasis skaters had launched a <a href="http://www.voteoasis.co.uk/" target="_blank">new website</a> posing questions from the skaters directly to the candidates in the upcoming election for May 7th. It gives me great pleasure to be able to reply and to again offer them my support. They're posting the responses they get from candidates in the order they receive them on their website. There's also a link on their site to their <a href="https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-little-oasis-diy-skate-park" target="_blank">online petition</a>, now standing strong at over 4000 signatures. This is an amazing piece of work from a community group of young people who have proven they are engaged in the place they live. What needs to change is how the existing democratic system engages with them and supports their efforts. This episode is one of my main motivations for deciding to stand for election for Margate Central. <br /><br />Things need to change.
<br /><br /> They asked:
<br /><em><strong><br />"On April 13th we asked candidates for the Thanet constituencies and for Thanet District Council two questions about the derelict Oasis Crazy Golf site in Cliftonville.</strong></em>
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<li><em><strong>Thousands of people have said that they want the Oasis site on the seafront in Cliftonville to be used as a skate park. They believed that a community-built and run skate park would be an asset for the community and an attraction to visitors. Do you agree with them that the site should be a skate park?<br /></strong></em></li>
<li><em><strong>If you do agree, how will you use elected office to achieve this goal?"</strong></em></li>
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Here's our reply from me as a Thanet North Green Party candidate:
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<li>We've always supported the people making Little Oasis site so successful. We agree 100% that the Oasis site should be a skate park and that's why we turned up and offered to help. We've offered support and advice right from the beginning on how to secure the site as a community group. We know that the current council set up can seem impenetrable and closed to young people and that there is a feeling that you are not being listened to. It should be a great skate park, built by skaters for skaters.I'm a founder and Steering Group member of the <a href="https://margateneighbourhoodplanforum.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Margate Neighbourhood Plan Forum</a> and we've already agreed to do the work to nominate the Little Oasis Skate Park area to be registered as a official Community Asset of Value to protect it from inappropriate development and to secure it as a skate park for community use. As a constituted group of 21 signatories, this is one of the important roles we can fulfil. This at the heart of Neighbourhood Planning. This is just one of a number of leisure sites that have been identified and will be nominated under this important national scheme.It was utterly devastating to hear how the skate park was smashed to bits by the Council at 6am one morning. It's one of the most shameful episodes in Thanet Council's history. So I'm really pleased to see your initiative to bring the Little Oasis Crazy Skate back on the agenda.<br /><br /></li>
<li>We're already working to make sure the site is nominated as a Community Asset of Value to stop any future development.</li>
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<a href="https://louiseoldfield.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-15-at-11-02-39.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-84 size-medium" height="133" src="https://louiseoldfield.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-15-at-11-02-39.png?w=300" width="300" /></a>
<br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br />I've not only supported Little Oasis Crazy Skate since the beginning, but also other groups such as the <a href="https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-hartsdown-skatepark-in-margate-kent" target="_blank">campaign to renovate the 1977 Hartsdown Skate Park</a> (see my FOIs on that ongoing debacle <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/number_of_complaints_made_regard#incoming-635298" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/information_about_hartsdown_skat#incoming-525408" target="_blank">here</a>) and the crisis that had befallen the <a href="http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/09/01/mary-portas-and-margate-facing-reality-not-reality-tv/" target="_blank">O'Neill's Boxing Club</a> with their roof caving in, many of the young boxers are now at Pej Court Boxing Club in Westbrook. My Margate Central running mate and Thanet North MP candidate, Ed Targett boxes there. Grass roots sports facilities are vital for young people. I look forward to the day when we as a community will no longer need petitions to be heard by the Council. That young and old, should have a seat at the table to participate more than once every four years. Let's ride!
<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #373e4d; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 11.9999990463257px; line-height: 17.0666675567627px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-25369937190681381902015-04-10T00:14:00.003+01:002015-04-10T00:29:01.453+01:00Get the Arlington shops and public car park open for Dreamland!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I took a walk tonight down the seafront to Arlington. It was a beautiful evening. Another of the classic Margate sunsets that we're treated to so often here. I strolled all along the seafront on to Arlington.<br />
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The works are ploughing ahead with the rebuilt Scenic Railway rising up at Dreamland.<br />
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But then we have the boarded up empty shops at Arlington and the closed 500 space car park. Tesco pulled out of building the proposed 82,000 sq ft store back in. So what's happened since? From looking at the site tonight, it doesn't seem like anything has happened at all.<br />
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Representatives from Freshwater were in Margate a couple of weeks ago where they met residents of Arlington House. No doubt Freshwater also met their landlord, the freeholder, Thanet District Council. I put a call in to the Council's press office today, and haven't yet heard back.<br />
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I wonder if Thanet Council told Freshwater to ensure they abide by the terms of their lease and not to spoil the opening of Dreamland in June by continuing to leave the Arlington shops and public car park closed and boarded up.<br />
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<a href="http://louiseoldfield.com/2015/04/03/do-the-majority-of-residents-in-margate-central-want-social-housing-for-the-fort-road-hotel-site/" target="_blank">With Iris Johnston and the Cabinet voting unanimously last week</a> to develop Fort Road Hotel for social housing citing concern over a blight on the seafront, surely Arlington frontage is an even greater blight? And one that is easier to resolve because Thanet Council is the freeholder.<br />
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Leaseholders, Metropolitan Property Realizations are a subsidiary of billionaire property landlords Freshwater (in the last few years their wealth greatly increased: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzion_Freshwater" target="_blank">Benzion Freshwater</a> was placed 79th on the Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £1.258 billion<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">). </span></span><br />
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Freshwater have a full repairing and maintaining lease for the entire Arlington site for which they pay the Council the princely sum of £7,500 per year. Download the lease <a href="https://arlingtonhousemargate.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/arlington_lease.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Their lease stipulates that they have to keep the buildings on the site in good repair.<br />
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Their lease stipulates they have to keep the buildings painted.</div>
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Their lease stipulates the shops and car park have to be kept open to the public.</div>
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Arlington is immediately adjacent to Dreamland with a number of small shop units running along the seafront and All Saints Avenue. </div>
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Given the crowds that are going to come to Dreamland there's an opportunity to have a whole row of little shops open along the pathway to Dreamland. </div>
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Then there's the public car park. It has 500 badly needed spaces including coaches. Why leave this standing empty when car parking is such a problem? Arlington is the perfect place for a car park in Margate.</div>
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So, Thanet Council, did you tell Freshwater to get the shops and car park open at Arlington and not to spoil the opening of Dreamland that people have waited so long for?<br />
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We want to be proud of Margate seafront again. Look at it. It's beautiful!</div>
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All the pictures were taken tonight.<br />
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Issues like this are what made me decide to stand for Council in the upcoming election on May 7th. The Council should be accountable for what it does and what it also fails to do. </div>
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Why can't Thanet Council enforce the terms of the Arlington lease? <br />
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In five years of the Arlington campaign, I've never had an answer on this question. Let's hope it doesn't need to come down to enforcement and that Freshwater will do the right thing and smarten up Arlington as per the lease. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/oct/09/tesco-ditches-plans-build-superstore-margate-seafront" target="_blank">Tesco pulled out</a>. It's unlikely there is another large superstore tenant wanting to take on Arlington, with large stores are closing up and down the country.<br />
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And if we're talking about a social housing need in Margate with sea views, then did you know there were over 30 vacant flats owned by Freshwater in Arlington House that had stood empty for years? </div>
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If Thanet Council were to take back the lease they could tenant these or even sell them and make enough money to renovate the entire site or build housing elsewhere.</div>
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Food for thought.<br />
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-20850647692676445182015-04-02T12:43:00.000+01:002015-04-02T13:40:16.349+01:00Historic Toy Museum Trust propose move to Fort Road Hotel<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve just received the exciting news that
</span><a href="http://www.pollocksmuseum.co.uk/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Pollock’s Toy Museum Trust</a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> have approached Thanet Council expressing an interest in moving to the Fort Road Hotel to house their collection as an attraction.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ez0h7elz63U/VR0mF2IiVpI/AAAAAAAACuk/0BcxwPfXPXI/s1600/pollocks2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ez0h7elz63U/VR0mF2IiVpI/AAAAAAAACuk/0BcxwPfXPXI/s1600/pollocks2.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollock's original Hoxton shop</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pollock’s Toy Museum was first established in 1958 in London as an adunct to the toy shop business that specialized in selling old fashioned toys, especially printed paper model theatres. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">
<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Originally made by Benjamin Pollock in Hoxton in the East End of London from the 1870s to the war. Read about the history of Benjamin Pollock the toy maker </span><a href="http://www.pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk/index.php/about-us/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">. Online shop <a href="http://www.pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk/index.php/popular-toys.html/" target="_blank">here.</a></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Here's an e<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">arly 1920s Gaumont Film Company newsreel featuring Benjamin Pollock at work in his Hoxton shop in London:</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Trust cite the Margate’s arts-based
community along with the opening of <a href="http://www.dreamland.co.uk/" target="_blank">Dreamland</a>, <a href="https://www.turnercontemporary.org/" target="_blank">Turner Contemporary</a> and the
<a href="http://shellgrotto.co.uk/" target="_blank">Shell Grotto</a> as reasons for their interest in moving to
Margate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is such good news for Margate and The Fort
Road Hotel. It goes to show that there are viable options open for the site. I
hope that the Council will be able to take forward the option of seeking a
none residential use for the building in this prime location. One which would
be a key tourist attraction that would secure the future of this cherished
heritage asset for the town, and that would provide the opportunity of jobs. <br />
<br />
Pollocks Toy Museum Trust would be a perfect compliment to Margate’s historic
attractions. </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
The Council will be discussing the future of Fort Road Hotel at tonight's Cabinet Meeting which starts at 7pm.<br />
<br />
<b>In the meantime:</b><br /><br />Please sign the <a href="https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-margate-s-historic-fort-road-hotel" target="_blank">petition to Save Fort Road Hotel</a>.<br />Support the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/savefortroadhotel?fref=ts" target="_blank">Save Fort Road Hotel Facebook Page</a><br />Write to <a href="http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=143" target="_blank">Councillor Iris Johnston</a>, Leader of Thanet Council.<br />
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79866177479583080.post-3411055892300751032015-03-29T18:18:00.002+01:002015-03-29T22:17:37.899+01:00Thanet Council reject Turner Contemporary’s inspirational plans for historic Fort Road Hotel, in favour of demolition and social housing <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IB42l901_Go/VRguMmcL1lI/AAAAAAAACtE/7KpWgEplhI8/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-29%2Bat%2B17.52.23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IB42l901_Go/VRguMmcL1lI/AAAAAAAACtE/7KpWgEplhI8/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-29%2Bat%2B17.52.23.png" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Options Study for Fort Road Hotel, June 2014</td></tr>
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In <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/thanet-council-plan-demolition-and.html" target="_blank">December 2014 Councillor Iris Johnston</a> surprised the public with her Leader’s Report to the Council regarding the potential demolition of the historic Fort Road Hotel and the development of the site for social housing flats. <br />
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Soon afterwards, <a href="http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=148" target="_blank">Councillor Richard Nicholson</a>, Cabinet Member for Housing, stated that: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“several attempts were made to market this building but unfortunately to no avail.”</i></blockquote>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> This Labour Council’s announcement was a shock to many residents and interested parties, who had been following the council’s own PR and marketing of the hotel for development as boutique hotel. <br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It seemed obvious that such a prominent seafront location, opposite <a href="https://www.turnercontemporary.org/" target="_blank">Turner Contemporary</a> made a hotel an obvious and attractive option. The council had even erected a rooftop neon ‘ICONIC SITE’ sign to market it for development into a much needed boutique hotel, which would be an economic boost to Margate. I covered this in my <a href="http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/thanet-council-plan-demolition-and.html" target="_blank">blog post of December 6th</a> 2014.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bOCXlk0-wuM/VIN1k0DWAJI/AAAAAAAACbk/q8MljSPeu5w/s1600/_55563231_fordroadhotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bOCXlk0-wuM/VIN1k0DWAJI/AAAAAAAACbk/q8MljSPeu5w/s1600/_55563231_fordroadhotel.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ICONIC SITE neon marketing</td></tr>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Kent and London based award-winning architectural and interior design practice of <a href="http://www.guyhollaway.co.uk/" target="_blank">Guy Hollaway Architects RIBA</a>, has presented two high quality schemes, drawn up for two separate developers since 2010.<br />
<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The first of these with the original landowners, was proceeding with the apparent agreement of KCC and Thanet Council during the Tory administration of Bob Bayford in 2010. But the CPO for demolition was still implemented in 2010 by the council’s housing department with the stated purpose of demolition. This in itself is questionable to demolish a building in a Conservation Area without an approved scheme to replace it.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The second Guy Hollaway Architects scheme was for a London based developer and was announced in the <a href="http://www.thanetgazette.co.uk/Plans-boutique-Fort-Road-hotel-conversion/story-19552493-detail/story.html" target="_blank">press on July 22nd 2013</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGrOS55AHsA/VRgpWv8xQRI/AAAAAAAACso/ihCytpJbTm8/s1600/5090258-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGrOS55AHsA/VRgpWv8xQRI/AAAAAAAACso/ihCytpJbTm8/s1600/5090258-large.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guy Hollaway scheme July 2013</td></tr>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In February 2014, after hearing this second scheme had also fallen through, I asked the council if they had any buildings which the council were looking for developers to take forward as hotels. I’m the owner of a successful boutique bed and breakfast business and we were actively exploring expansion of our business. I was told there weren’t buildings for hotels and I should make enquiries of estate agents in the area.<br />
<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It then came to my attention that in spring 2014 that Turner Contemporary had been asked by the council from February 2014 to draw up an options scheme for a boutique hotel for the Fort Road Hotel site.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
In December 2014 I made a Freedom of Information request for documents relating to the site. At first the Council refused to release the options document them on the grounds of commercial confidentiality. Following a successful appeal to the council the options document was made public last week. </div>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I can now reveal that an options document was indeed drawn up for Turner Contemporary by architects Hawkins Brown in June 2014. Email discussions between Turner Contemporary and the council’s Head of Economic Development and Asset Management, Edwina Crowley, show that while the council had first encouraged Turner Contemporary to draw up a hotel scheme Ms Crowley then stated on June 24th 2014 that they would not hand over the freehold to the site as part of any deal. And further that: <i style="font-weight: bold;">"The agreement for the lease will prevent any land banking and enable us to get the site back, plus prevent residential use."</i><br />
<br />
Download the <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/lerzg9f4gt2gpxh/Fort%20Road%20Hotel.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">public file (PDF)</a> of the email discussions with the Council.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Di_vFKQkV9A/VRgsmBWeBbI/AAAAAAAACs0/_Z23wp33Mlg/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-29%2Bat%2B17.44.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Di_vFKQkV9A/VRgsmBWeBbI/AAAAAAAACs0/_Z23wp33Mlg/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-29%2Bat%2B17.44.39.png" height="205" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This scheme, which was never disclosed to the voting public, then appears to have collapsed. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/249o9bxpe471z82/TurnerOptions.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">Download the PDF</a> of the options document that has been made public. Ironically, it includes an image from one of my own bedrooms in my B&B as a style guide!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANzWOl3sZtQ/VRguMpYQo7I/AAAAAAAACtA/EXRd2-tTU9I/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-29%2Bat%2B17.53.27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANzWOl3sZtQ/VRguMpYQo7I/AAAAAAAACtA/EXRd2-tTU9I/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-29%2Bat%2B17.53.27.png" height="225" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Illustration of potential boutique hotel use</td></tr>
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After this opaque and puzzling episode, the current council administration is now determined to demolish a heritage building and utilise this strategic site for housing; rather than economic/job creation /tourism regeneration as was their position in 2010 at the time of their CPO.<br />
<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This raises the issue of why a great deal of taxpayers money was wasted in marketing the site for development into a boutique hotel?<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> In addition, large sums of wasted money have been spent by prospective developers in drawing up expensive schemes to submit to this council, schemes which TDC had no intention of pursuing. And all the while the building has been left in a derelict eyesore state open to the elements since the CPO of 2010.<br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This Thursday on <a href="http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=151&MId=3453" target="_blank">April 2nd, the TDC Cabinet Meeting</a> has tabled a motion to transfer the Fort Road Hotel to the Housing Revenue account so that demolition can take place and development for social housing.<br />
<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Perhaps we should now be asking Councillor Nicholson whether he knew that TDC had made TDC possession of the freehold of the site non-negotiable, when he said that efforts to find a partner for the hotel project had been <i>"to no avail." </i><br />
The <a href="https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-margate-s-historic-fort-road-hotel" target="_blank">Save Fort Road petition </a>is now running at over 600 signatures. It’s clear the public don’t want this historic building to be demolished. And despite the council’s attempts to suppress the information, the Turner Contemporary proposal it looks like the kind of scheme the public would support.<br />
<br />
There are plenty of empty properties and sites throughout the area for the council to utilise and develop for modern housing. Margate doesn’t have many places where Turner’s sea and sky can be seen in such a spectacular setting, where natural beauty can support local jobs and sustainable revenues for the town. <br />
<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If we’re elected to the council, <a href="http://greentargett.com/" target="_blank">Ed Targett</a> and I will work to ensure all asset disposals are conducted in an open and transparent manner. <br />
<br />
We must not lose any more strategic economic sites in the town that could provide badly needed jobs. Margate is a great town with a great future as a tourist destination and as a place to live. <br />
We deserve better from our council.<br />
<br />
<b>What can we do as individuals?</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-margate-s-historic-fort-road-hotel" target="_blank">SIGN THE PETITION!</a> <br />
Join the <a href="ttps://www.facebook.com/savefortroadhotel" target="_blank">Save Fort Road Hotel Facebook page</a> and spread the word!<br />
<br />
Write to Acting Chief Executive Madeline Homer ahead of Thursday’s Cabinet Meeting to ask her to review the decision to move towards housing development of the historic Fort Road Hotel. <a href="mailto:Madeline.homer@thanet.gov.uk" target="_blank">Madeline.homer@thanet.gov.uk </a> <br />
<br />
Follow the hashtag #MargateSpringClean <br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/margatespringclean" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/margatespringclean </a> <br />
<br />Additional Edit:<br />
I finally managed to open this coming Thursday's April 2nd Cabinet Meeting Agenda Report document. PDF of the Fort Road Hotel Agenda Item 7 <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/avdgbzpkg8cna9w/democracy.thanet.gov.uk-...%2019.00%20Cabinet.pdf%3FT%3D10.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />There's even more shocking information. These excerpts are taken from the above Agenda Reports document.<br />
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Given the information that has been released to the public regarding the Turner Contemporary options document, it doesn't seem to be true that there wasn't a suitable development proposal put forward. The Council no longer offering the freehold is not the same issue.</div>
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There we have it. £950,000 is the figure the Council are proposing to spend on destroying historic building to build social housing.<br /><br />
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The council have spent £30,000 is scaffolding since 2010 while private developers spent their money proposing hotel schemes for the site. What about the cost of the marketing and PR with the neon 'ICONIC SITE'?</div>
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The Council stipulate for themselves as developers that the site must be developed for non commercial purposes, yet in June 2014, Edwina Crowley stipulated any lease created for a private developer would be to ensure it wouldn't be residential.<br /><br />How much public money has been spent on marketing the site for a hotel?</div>
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How much money have the proposals cost private developers since 2010?<br />Why has the public been kept in the dark?</div>
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It's this kind of behaviour from the Council that convinced me to stand for election in the Margate Central Ward. If elected I will do my best to ensure there is full transparency and accountability for disposals of this nature. And a level playing field for private developers when up against the Council as a developer. #MargateSpringClean</div>
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Louise Oldfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08739006169643685499noreply@blogger.com3