COUNCIL SECURES £1.9M FOR CLIFTONVILLE PROJECT

Thanet District Council is delighted to announce that it has today (Wednesday 19 December) secured funding of £1.9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), through their Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), for a restoration project in Dalby Square, Cliftonville.
Council Leader, Cllr Clive Hart, said: “Close on the heels of Margate’s inclusion in the international ‘Rough Guide’ as a top travel destination, this is another brilliant opportunity to improve the area still further. The project will not only extend the successful concept as seen in the rejuvenated Old Town area but also create useful additional employment in the district.” 
The scheme, which is due to commence in January 2013, follows the similar and successful historic area grant schemes in Margate Old Town (2003-2008) and Ramsgate seafront (2008-2013) which have done much to contribute to the new positive interest being taken in Thanet.
The five-year programme will take place in the Dalby Square Conservation Area (includes Dalby Road and Arthur Road).
Stuart McLeod, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said: “HLF investment goes well beyond the bricks and mortar of buildings. THI schemes can really help turn around local economies, not only by improving how they look and feel, but by prompting business start-ups and creating new jobs and training opportunities. We are delighted to be able to work with Thanet District Council in helping boost the fortunes of Dalby Square.”
Grants will be given to improve the appearance of the front elevations of buildings in the area, in a manner that reinforces their historic character, to replace lost architectural detailing, such as balconies, windows and cornices and to improve the ‘public realm’ – such as paving and lighting. Further, funding is aimed at bringing empty properties back into use, especially where this will help to create additional employment in Dalby Square; beyond the extra staff who will be involved in coordinating the scheme itself.
Dalby Square was developed in the 1870s and was the centrepiece of the planned seaside resort of Cliftonville. The area consists of grand, and highly ornate, terraces and villas, many of which were originally hotels. Up to the First World War, Cliftonville was probably the most exclusive seaside resort in England – a grandeur reflected in its many surviving buildings from the mid to late Victorian period.
The project will also fund the promotion of Dalby Square, and the wider area, as a place of great historic and townscape value, and as a highly desirable place to live or visit.
With the renewed interest in Britain’s heritage and the tighter control which Thanet District Council is taking over ensuring that landlords look after their properties, this all provides a superb opportunity to breathe even more of life back into Thanet’s tremendous potential for increased prosperity.