(Opposite Turner Contemporary Site)
A police and fire service operation in conjunction with the ambulance service had to deal with an unnamed injured young man in the derelict Fort Road Hotel in Margate, opposite the multi million pound Turner Contemporary.Ward Councillor Iris Johnston said "A member of the public alerted me to the accident on Tuesday evening around 9pm and I am sorry to say this was something waiting to happen. Cllr John Watkins and I have reported an open window for months and at other times over the years reported squatters and rubbish to TDC.I took an officer up there again three weeks ago and we saw a young man trying to gain entry. I also pointed out the rubbish filled basement area where anyone could fall in".Councillor Johnston added "TDC are at last taking legal action under a section 215 Notice and could go for compulsory purchase on both the Hotel and Arcadian.There is a planning application in for the latter and apparently 'decorative hoardings' may be put up on both eyesores. TDC have at last served Section 215 notices with a possibility of compulsory purchase if the owners don't make the longover due repairs and improvements.We were at this stage with the Hotel in 2003 and I don't know how many times we can push for action. I am waiting to hear how the young man is and I can only hope we haven't a real tragedy".
Leader of the Opposition at TDC Cllr Clive Hart said "this incident is very worrying. I have seen regular correspondence that proves the ward councillors have done everything they possibly could to warn TDC of the dangerous conditions, but the current administration have been way to slow in taking appropriate action.
Now the Conservative Cabinet intends to hide the Hotel and other eyesore buildings along the seafront from visitors to the Turner Contemporary behind huge hoardings. That's all very well, but they will still be a danger, and continuing eyesores to local rate paying residents inland.
Indeed, the hoardings could hide all manner of illicit activity and actually make things worse. Failing to act on the ward councillors repeated concerns over the past seven years has forced TDC into rushed, last-minute and very temporary solutions to longstanding problems".
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