NEW ASSET MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS

A new batch of sites that the council is considering selling, as part of its plan to review what it owns each year, is due to go before Cabinet later this month. (Thursday 17 September).

The 12 sites are being proposed, as part of the council’s Asset Management Plan, which requires the council to look at all of its sites and see how cost effective, well maintained, well used and beneficial to the community they are. The sites are:

Site: Land adjacent to 39 Nelson Place, Broadstairs (Bradstowe)
Proposal: Possible development for a single house.

Site: Open surfaced site to the rear of the supermarket, Hopeville Avenue, St. Peter’s, Broadstairs (St. Peter’s)
Proposal: Either seek planning permission for a small residential development, upgrade the car park to pay and display or leave as it is now. In all cases, the toilets would be retained.

Site: Land and buildings to the south of Hartsdown Sports Centre, Hartsdown Park, Margate (excludes leisure centre) (Garlinge)
Proposal: Either do nothing, partially redevelop the vacant parts of the site or a comprehensive redevelopment of the site, with income funding improvements to the sports centre and pavilion. As part of any development, community groups would be helped to relocate.

Site: Front strip of land to Palm Bay recreation ground, Palm Bay Avenue, Cliftonville (Cliftonville East)
Proposal: Keep as recreation ground only or carry out a small residential development, which would provide money to improve the facilities at the recreation ground, including changing facilities and football pitches.

Site: Former lodge, St. John’s Cemetery, Manston Road, Margate (Salmestone)
Proposal: Retain as a storage facility or dispose for residential refurbishment.

Site: Former promenade toilets, adjacent to Seaview Terrace, Westbrook (Westbrook)
Proposal: Either retain the building in its existing condition or redevelop for residential use.

Site: Land opposite the Tudor House, King Street, Margate (Margate Central)
Proposal: Either retain the site in its existing condition or sell for residential development.

Site: Staffordshire Street car park (public parking retained), Ramsgate (Eastcliff)
Proposal: Either keep as a car park or seek a full town centre commercial redevelopment of the site, retaining and incorporating public car parking.

Site: Land on Western Undercliff, west of tunnel access, including Chine access from Royal Esplanade (Cliffsend and Pegwell)
Proposal: Either do nothing or dispose of the site, with planning consent for either residential or leisure development.

Site: Car park, site of the former swimming pool, Marina Esplanade, Ramsgate (Sir Moses Montefiore)
Proposal: Either do nothing or a mixed residential/commercial scheme with on site parking.

Site: Open space land adjoining 33 and 35 Beech Grove, Cliffsend (Cliffsend and Pegwell)
Proposal: Either retain or sell to adjoining owners for garden land.

Site: Former railway line behind numbers 2-48 Highfield Road, Ramsgate (Northwood)
Proposal: Either leave as it is, set out formal parking or dispose for residential development, with alternative parking provided and some of the money used to improve facilities on Jackey Bakers.

Cllr. John Kirby, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services and Ramsgate Marina, said: “The Cabinet will be considering the list that officers have put together, before it goes forward for consultation. We want to be open and fully transparent during this process and highlight that the report has been developed and which sites are being considered at this stage. However, I would stress that, until the Cabinet meeting has taken place, none of these sites are definitely going forward to consultation. I am sure once the decision has been taken by Cabinet and the consultation gets underway, there will be great interest in this subject, as there has been in previous years and I look forward to hearing local people’s views on the various proposals.”

The consultation is due to begin in October.