 |
| Richard Ash (centre) |
High Street Sounds
Margate Town Team is excited to announce a new sound art project in collaboration with sound artist and composer, Robert Jarvis.
Between now and the beginning of February, Robert hopes to create a number of audio compositions to complement the experience of people shopping on the High Street. It is hoped that the created sound pieces will be a talking point amongst people in the town and therefore help increase footfall, adding another layer of interest and appeal to this part of the town.The sound pieces will be played using a recent advance in audio technology that allows shop windows to act as loudspeakers capable of playing quiet sounds. This is achieved by placing a small (mobile phone size) audio driver onto a window. This passes the sound vibrations to the glass with the result that the sound can be heard emanating from the shop front. The technology doesn't take up any room, and the sounds can be timed to play at any time.The first premises along the High Street to have a device placed on the window front is the Crafted Naturally shop, which forms a part of our Town Team building at the bottom of the High Street. Do come and have a listen and speak with the shop owner Wendy James if you are interested in finding out a bit more.For those who think that they would like to be a part of this project, there will be a meeting next Tuesday 20th November at 5.30pm in the Town Team shop office at 16-18 High Street. Please do come along, meet Robert and listen to his ideas about what might be possible.
 |
| Terrence Painter (centre) |
PRESSURE is mounting on developers of Ramsgate's former Pleasurama site and Thanet council after being accused of delivering a "decade of nothing".
Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee chairman Ian Driver this week called for the authority's agreement with SFP Ventures to be ripped up ten years after it was signed.
SFP Ventures wants the council to hand it the freehold for £3.3 million so it can secure further funding for the £36 million Royal Sands development – which will feature 107 apartments, seven shops and a 60-bed hotel.Mr Driver said: "The only thing that has happened there in ten years is some foundations have been poured. I think it's a public scandal that this should be allowed to continue. I have no confidence at all that SFP Ventures can complete that work.
"My worry is that the developers are trying their best to get their hands on the freehold because they can sell that on.
"I find it utterly amazing that a project on land which is owned by the council worth £36 million, should be awarded to an organisation that has never developed anything as far as I can tell."
Planning permission was granted in January, 2005, although work did not start until the autumn of 2009.Mr Driver said residents had contacted him to express their "anger and frustration" at the state of the site.
"It's like a tip down there and people are getting fed up with it," he added.
SFP Ventures' agent Terrence Painter said they were only waiting for a draft agreement from the council to assure financiers interested hoteliers before they formally commit to the project.
He said: "We're very, very close to that. If we get a draft agreement signed there is no reason why we can't hit the target date of 2014, getting it in two years to completion.
"People have to be patient and they should be shouting at councillors to push the agreement."
Mr Painter dismissed Mr Driver's comments about the firm, which he says has a strong track record of similar developments in Portugal.
Thanet council said a deal to replace the current agreement with SFP was "virtually done".
Deputy leader of the council Alan Poole said: "Before we sign the agreement we have to be assured that sufficient funding is in place to complete the development, and we need to be satisfied that a hotel operator is in place and due diligence also needs to be carried out to establish legitimacy.
"When we are satisfied that all outstanding items have been addressed we will sign the agreement."
