Indian Princess Review

Well deserved and enthusiastic review of The Indian Princess restaurant in Margate. We're really pleased to hear that finally they're waiting to hear if they have been awarded a Michellin star or not. The review from Kent Life however, seems a bit OTT with its description of the physicality of the owner, Dev:

"the impossibly handsome chef owner, Dev Biswal, who is straight out of a Bollywood movie – all gleaming white teeth and lustrous black locks."

Campaign starting on new draft train timetable for Margate to London

How many of us moved here being told that train times would improve from Margate to London. Anyone recall being told journey times would improve to just over an hour?

Well, in true Orwellian style, we're being told it gets betterm and you'll have to pay for it, but actually it gets worse.

You may have heard that South Eastern trains is bringing in a new timetable for the train service from Margate to Victoria and Charing Cross.  From December.
 
In actual fact:
- There will be fewer trains running to London
- They will stop at more stations (adding 10 mins to the standard journey time).
- You will have to change at Faversham (and hope your train is not late AND your connection is waiting for you!).
 
OR
 
- You will have to travel to Ramsgate to catch the train to Kings Cross (paying a LOT more money for a train journey that’s 15 mins shorter … but requires you to travel from Margate to Ramsgate to catch it.)

This timetable is out for consultation. So we're going to consult too! If you see a person wrapped up against the best that Thanet's autumn weather can hit them with asking if you have 2 minutes to ansewer a questionnaire, do us all a favour and add your voice to the petition. If you are willing to help out with the campaign, please get in touch at snowball_drylands@yahoo.co.uk.

Looking for Photos of Youth Culture in Margate for Exhibition

The lovely ladies at Helterskelter, the newly opened vintage shop at 13 Market Place in Margate's Old Town, are looking for photographs to include in an exhibition about Margate youth culture which is set to take place in November at the shop.

They're looking for photographs of people from the 1950s onwards, when the subjects in the photos were young, with interesting clothes and/or set in interesting places in Margate.

Contact Katharine at: kj.elvinhelterskelter@hotmail.co.uk

Or pop into the shop at 13 Market Place.

Pushing Print

Starts tomorrow, running from 10th October to 1st November at Ingoldsby, Pie Factory and The Old Town Gallery in Margate Old Town. More info: http://pushingprint.co.uk/

VIEWS NEEDED ON NEW PLANNING DOCUMENT

TDC have announced they're canvassing for views on the Core Strategy for the Local Development Framework. They're planning on letting the upper High Street go to residential if it is unviable as commerical. This seems unwise. Just what kind of residential environment will that be? Living in shops, directly facing onto the street. Further, what about the businesses? Surely if things turn around, that there can be a continued need for small independent shops and other businesses?

----- Original Message -----

From: Cheryl Pendry

Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 4:21 PM

Subject: VIEWS NEEDED ON NEW PLANNING DOCUMENT


VIEWS NEEDED ON NEW PLANNING DOCUMENT


Local people are being asked for their views on a major new planning document, that sets out how Thanet will change and develop until the year 2026.


The draft version of the Core Strategy for the Local Development Framework has been developed following previous consultation and, when it's finally adopted, it will provide the "big picture" about how Thanet will look in the future.


The document sets out a vision, which is for people to recognise Thanet as a desirable place to live and work, and that the whole community is more settled, healthier, better educated, fulfilled, confident, and able to access a full range and quality of services, homes, jobs and training.


The Core Strategy also has specific targets on a number of different themes:



1. Housing.

Thanet will need 7,500 new homes between 2006 and 2026, in line with the South East Plan, with 20% of these on land at Nash Road and New Haine Road, Westwood. The rest will be built on already developed land, with no major development planned for Thanet's villages. The emphasis will be on building houses and bungalows, rather than flats.

2. Economy and employment

The aim is to attract new businesses to Thanet to create jobs and to support the growth of existing business. Kent International Airport and Manston Business Park will be the main locations for large-scale development that creates jobs. Some existing land, already allocated for employment, will also be kept at Eurokent and Thanet Reach. The Port of Ramsgate will be promoted as Kent's second cross-Channel port and a base for servicing offshore wind turbines and marine engineering.

3. Westwood

This will continue to develop as Thanet's principal retail centre and a residential and business community. The plan supports relocating Thanet College to a site next to the Canterbury Christ Church University campus and supports Jackey Baker's as the area's major sports venue.

4. Coastal towns

Although there is support for the town centres in Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate, priority will be given to Margate and redeveloping it with a mix of leisure and cultural facilities. Dreamland will be a new visitor destination, based on a heritage theme park, together with enabling development, including residential, specialist themed retail, food, drink and leisure. Policies will also support the contraction of the High Street to a more viable retail heart in the lower High Street, alongside the Old Town. In the upper High Street, replacement of disused or underused commercial premises with residential accommodation will be permitted.



The Core Strategy also supports work in the Margate Central and Cliftonville West wards to tackle deprivation there, such as restoring mixed and settled communities, improving homes and the street scene, and encouraging new business, including improved holiday accommodation.

In Ramsgate, support will be given to a mix of leisure, tourism, retail and residential around the waterfront area and new retail development within or adjacent to the town centre, such as the Staffordshire Street Car Park.



Little intervention is proposed for Broadstairs, where the emphasis will be on conserving and enhancing its unique charm as a residential and visitor location.



The document also sets out the importance of good design, sustainable development and protecting the green wedges between the towns and the coast and countryside.



Leader of the Council, Cllr. Sandy Ezekiel, said: "A great deal of work has already gone into developing the draft version of the Core Strategy and it's very much the result of feedback that we've had from local people and organisations. Now we need people's views, before the document is finalised, so that we can see whether our work is going in the right direction. The Core Strategy is arguably the most important document produced by the council, as it sets out how our area will develop and look over the next few years. This is your chance to have your say and I hope that local people will take the opportunity to read through the document and give us their views on what it says."



The consultation runs until Friday 18 December 2009 and you can pick up a full copy of the Core Strategy, or a summary version, from Thanet's Gateway Plus and at libraries across the area. It can also be viewed online at www.thanet.gov.uk Online, you can make comments and answer the consultation's questions by registering to comment at http://consult.thanet.gov.uk/inovem/consult.ti



All comments must be made in writing and they will be open to public inspection and cannot be treated as confidential.



ENDS


Cheryl Pendry
Press and Media Manager
Thanet District Council
www.thanet.gov.uk

Tel: 01843 577 034
Fax: 01843 295 343

Nayland Rock Shelter Listed

Fantastic news. The Seafront shelter at the Nayland Rock is now listed: PDF of listing report to download here: http://bit.ly/F9f8r