A bid is to be made for European cash of more than £550,000 to help bring some of the arches along Ramsgate seafront back into use.
Thanet District Council’s Cabinet last night (Thursday 6 August) agreed that the bid should be made to the European Union Interreg Two Seas – Yacht Valley programme for 1,306,500 Euros. The council would be required to match this money. £100,000 had already been set aside in the council’s capital programme for work to the arches and the additional money would be funded by prudential borrowing of £282,070.
If the bid is successful, the money would be put towards refurbishing 14 of the 30 arches along Military Road that are currently not in use. New floors, services and external treatment would be some of the work carried out, including replacing selected external wooden staircases.
The additional rental income from these 14 restored arches would then be used to help contribute to the council’s part of the funding. Two other smaller projects will be exploring possible improvements to the Ramsgate Harbour Boat Yard and the historic Smeaton Dry Dock.
Cllr. Roger Latchford, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “The Military Road arches are a well known sight along Ramsgate seafront and we’d like to see them all coming back into use. It was something this council had been looking to invest in anyway, so it makes sense to put this bid in for European funding, which could help move the project forward. Hopefully, if we’re successful, we can see more of these beautiful arches being brought back into use and at the same time encouraging new marine businesses to be based alongside the harbour. The harbour already generates scores of jobs, but there is business demand for even more, with the advent of the wind farms.”
The council will find out in November whether or not the bid has been successful.
Friday 6 August 2010
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And there was me thinking the council wants to sell the Harbour. Or maybe they will sell the harbour and keep the arches and the Port or carve it all up so nobody who buys it will have enough to make it pay so the council can buy it back cheap ............or is that just me being cynical? answers on the back of £20 and £50 pound notes in brown paper envelopes please.
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