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Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Mondrian and Colour / Spencer Finch exhibitions now open!
Margate’s Jack Pegden Triumphs in East Kent County Tennis Championship
Margate Lawn
Tennis Club Junior Jack Pegden has triumphed in the Under 8s East Kent County
Championship which took place at Polo Farm, Canterbury on May 26, Bank Holiday
Monday.
The Championship
event involved twelve children playing in three rounds of the final competition
and resulted in glory for young Jack. He steadfastly won each of his first
three games, taking the ties 10–6,
10–2, 10–6. That placed him firmly in the quarter final of the
competition where he won 10–7.
Moving on to the
semi-final, Jack definitively won the game 10- 2, landing him squarely in the
final where he won that too. Playing some great tennis in an exciting final,
Jack excelled in that as well and won the tie 10–7. Notably, this was only
Jack’s second ever tournament. There were no nerves and he really enjoyed
himself!
“Jack played
exceptionally well in this his second ever competition,” says Margate Lawn
Tennis Club Head Coach Gavid Vickers, “and it's fantastic that he has had this
success at county level. Jack has been involved with the coaching programme at
Margate Lawn Tennis Club since day one and it's been an absolute pleasure
training him and helping him reach his potential."
Margate Lawn Tennis
Club operates under LTA's mini lawn tennis programme which allows children to
progress using appropriate equipment such as larger and lower bouncing tennis balls.
“Lessons start for five year olds to 70 year olds and over,” adds Vickers.
“Everyone is welcome!”
Crackdown on illegal parking in Ramsgate town pedestrian area
After resident feedback, Thanet District Council has clamped down on vehicles parking on restrictions in Ramsgate issuing a total of 40 Penalty Charge Notices in the pedestrian areas of the town.
The council, working in partnership with Kent Police, has provided extra enforcement in the area following concerns raised by local people.
Council Civil Enforcement Officers and PCSO’s have been in the area for the past five Sundays issuing Penalty Charge Notices to illegally parked cars. They have also moved a large number of vehicles on and explained to motorists how they were contravening restrictions.
Leader of Thanet District Council and Cabinet Member for Community Safety Cllr Iris Johnston said, ‘I’d like to thank the residents who brought these concerns to our attention. The area has been much clearer since this burst of extra enforcement and hopefully drivers will be deterred from this behaviour in the future due to education and the threat of enforcement.’
In the interests of personal and public safety the council would urge residents to comply with the parking restrictions as these are there for the safety of pedestrians and shoppers.
Licensing appeal dismissed in Court
Dover Magistrate’s Court recently supported a licensing decision by Thanet District Council (16 May) when an appeal from Key Stores was dismissed.
On the 14 January 2014 a Licensing Sub-Committee revoked the premises licence at the shop for serving someone under the influence of alcohol. This was witnessed by the then Community Service Coordinator, who reported it to the Police, who brought the review.
The licence holder for Key Stores Mr Oflazoglu appealed the council’s decision to the Court.
Regulatory Services Manager, Philip Bensted, represented Thanet District Council at Dover Magistrates’ Court when the appeal was heard.
The Court dismissed this appeal and said that ‘there was credible evidence given by Mr Wright and CCTV evidence, on the balance of probabilities, that a drunken customer had been served.’
Leader of Thanet District Council and Cabinet Member for Community Safety Cllr Iris Johnston said, ‘Once again the decision of our Licensing Team has been supported by the law. Licensees have to be responsible and who they serve is a massive part of that. We want licensees who are a positive influence in the District and don’t have the potential to indirectly support anti-social behaviour. This sends a message to other licensees that they must heed the law because the council will not tolerate breaches which could potentially damage individuals, residents and the district as a whole.’
As well as dismissing the appeal the Court also awarded Thanet District Council £946 costs against Mr Oflazoglu. The shop can no longer sell alcohol.
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
DUKE OF KENT TO VISIT PUGIN’S CHURCH OF ST AUGUSTINE, RAMSGATE
His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent will be visiting St Augustine’s Church, Ramsgate, on Tuesday 27th May. St Augustine’s is one of the principle attractions in Ramsgate: it is one of the most important architectural buildings in the country as the centre of Gothic Revival, and the burial place of the architect famous for his work on the Houses of Parliament, Augustus Pugin.
The Duke will be introduced to the Rector, Fr Marcus Holden, who will show him around the site and tell him about the plans for the new Education, Research, and Visitor Centre, for which the Heritage Lottery Fund have awarded a development grant of £82,000.
St Augustine’s is fundraising to match fund an HLF grant totalling £800,000. They are progressing towards their target of £80,000.
Also presented to The Duke will be Paul Sharrock, the Architect and Project Manager, from Thomas Ford and Partners, and John Coverdale, the Centre Manager at St Augustine’s. Volunteers who keep the church open will meet The Duke informally as he is shown around the site.
His Royal Highness will be given a gift of publications and a DVD which explain the national stories of architecture, history, and religion told at St Augustine’s.
27th May is a significant day for St Augustine’s as it is the feast day of St Augustine, commemorating the day that he died in 604. St. Augustine arrived on Thanet in 597 on a mission to spread Christianity to England. The success of his mission has helped to form the modern world.
On 26th May, the day before The Duke’s visit, a unique new icon of St Augustine will be blessed and processed, and in the evening of 27th there will be a special Mass for the feast celebrated by Fr Paul Mason, Episcopal Vicar for Kent.
The Duke of Kent is undertaking a series of engagements in Thanet on 27th May. He will open the Ramsgate Tunnels in the morning, and afterwards will visit Thanet Earth near Birchington. St Augustine’s celebrates the Victorian Gothic Revival heritage which reshaped cityscapes around the world, and also St Augustine who brought Christianity to England which is still changing cultures in Britain and around the world.
The site includes Pugin’s original schoolroom, cloisters, sacristy, and library room, as well as the church, and the plans are to create an Education, Research, and Visitor Centre to display and teach about Pugin, his legacy, his life, as well as St Augustine and his history and heritage.
Augustus Pugin built St Augustine’s “close to the spot where blessed Austin landed” as his ideal vision of a church and called it “my own child.” Pugin is buried in the church along with members of his family.
The church was dedicated as the shrine of St Augustine of Canterbury in 2012 by Archbishop Peter Smith of the Archdiocese of Southwark. It has become a place of popular pilgrimage.
Saturday, 24 May 2014
Thanet's beaches re-open for swimming in time for Bank Holiday weekend
All of Thanet’s beautiful beaches are now fully open, with water quality significantly improved and the majority of debris cleared from the shoreline.
This follows an emergency discharge at the Southern Water Foreness Point Sewage Pumping Station on Wednesday night (21 May) which forced the council to advise against swimming in the sea between Walpole Bay in Cliftonville and Dumpton Gap in Broadstairs.
Signs on the affected beaches have been updated to inform the public that the bathing water has now re-opened for public use and red flags on the district’s life-guarded beaches have now been lowered*.
Council workers have been out in force as part of a large-scale clean-up operation since the early hours of Thursday morning and efforts have been stepped up over the weekend.
Southern Water cleansing teams will remain out around the coast for the remainder of the Bank Holiday weekend to clear any further evidence of debris following the next high-tides.
The council has requested an urgent meeting with Southern Water next week to understand why the discharge occurred and to seek assurances for the future.
With 19 stunning miles of coastline, and boasting more blue flag sandy beaches than any other part of the country, the council is delighted to have its beaches re-opened for swimming in time for the Bank Holiday weekend ahead.
Friday, 23 May 2014
Southern Water discharge at Foreness Point - update Friday 23 May 16:00
Advice not to enter the water between Walpole Bay in Cliftonville and Dumpton Gap, Broadstairs will now remain in place until Saturday 24 May.
Although water sample tests carried out by the Environment Agency have revealed an improving picture, there is still evidence of further debris being washed onto the shoreline.
The council is hopeful that continuing efforts to clear the remainder of the waste, and further monitoring of the coastline tomorrow morning (Saturday 24 May), could mean that signs advising the public not to go beyond the high-tide line on the beach, may still be removed over the weekend.
Council cleansing teams have been out in force, along with Southern Water contractors, over the past two days as part of a major clean-up operation to remove the debris.
In anticipation of the Bank Holiday weekend, the council will be deploying additional cleansing teams to clear the affected beaches tomorrow following the next high-tides and council officers will continue to monitor the coastline.
This all follows an emergency discharge at the Southern Water Foreness Point Sewage Pumping Station on Wednesday night (21 May).
The area affected currently includes the following beaches:
- Walpole Bay
- Palm Bay
- Botany Bay
- Kingsgate Bay
- Joss Bay
- Stone Bay
- Viking Bay
- Louisa Bay
- Dumpton Gap
Signs remain in place at the affected beaches, advising the public not to go into the sea or to enter the area below the high-tide mark (the sand reached during a high-tide).
Access to the upper area of the beach and the promenades is still permitted and is open to the public, with concessions open for business as usual.
All other beaches across the district are fully open and local events set to take place this weekend will go ahead as planned.
Beaches which are NOT affected include:
- Minnis Bay
- Grenham Bay
- Epple Bay
- Westgate Bay
- St Mildred’s Bay
- Westbrook Bay
- Margate Main Sands
- Ramsgate Main Sands
- Western Undercliff
Director of Operational Services, Mark Seed, said: “Water quality tests from the Environment Agency indicate that the water quality has improved and is continuing to do so. Following a large-scale effort to clear the coastline between Walpole Bay and Dumpton Gap, thankfully the vast majority of debris along the shoreline has also now been cleared.
“We do however still want to advise caution. With two high-tides between now and tomorrow morning, further debris could be washed onto the shoreline. Until our crews have been out in force tomorrow morning, and we have a clearer picture of the remaining impact, it would not be appropriate to provide any change in our advice. Clearly the safety of the public remains our absolute priority.
“We have done all we can to mobilise a large cleansing team ahead of tomorrow and remain hopeful that additional efforts may mean that more positive news can be shared over the weekend.
“In the meantime the message remains that Thanet is still very much open for business, with a number of our beautiful beaches fully open to the public and an array of family-friendly events taking place right across the weekend.”
A further update will be provided early tomorrow afternoon.
Latest update (Friday 23 May) - Southern Water discharge
The message for beach users across Thanet’s beautiful bays remains the same this morning (Friday 23 May), the advice, not to enter the water between Walpole Bay in Cliftonville and Dumpton Gap, Broadstairs.
All other beaches across the district are fully open.
This follows an emergency discharge at the Southern Water Foreness Point Sewage Pumping Station on Wednesday night (21 May).
The area affected has extended and now includes the following beaches:
- Walpole Bay
- Palm Bay
- Botany Bay
- Kingsgate Bay
- Joss Bay
- Stone Bay
- Viking Bay
- Louisa Bay
- Dumpton Gap
Signs remain in place at each affected beach advising the public not to go into the sea or to enter the area below the high-tide mark (the sand reached during a high-tide).
Access to the upper area of the beach and the promenades is still permitted and is open to the public, with concessions open for business as usual.
Council cleansing crews were out all day yesterday to clear the shoreline and will be out in force with the surf rake today to clear any further debris washed onto the shore following the high tide.
Southern Water has also deployed a large team of contractors and machinery to assist with the clean-up operation.
The council continues to work alongside the Environment Agency to monitor the situation and water sample tests will continue to be taken to assess water quality at the affected beaches.
The council is hopeful that the water will once again be open to the public on the affected beaches in time for the bank holiday weekend.
Further updates will be provided as soon as possible to keep members of the public informed.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Latest update - Southern Water discharge at Foreness Point
Beach users are still being advised not to enter the water on a number of Thanet’s beaches following an emergency discharge at the Southern Water Foreness Point Sewage Pumping Station last night (Wednesday 21 May).
The area affected has extended from Walpole Bay to Dumpton Gap.
The beaches affected include:
- Walpole Bay
- Palm Bay
- Botany Bay
- Kingsgate Bay
- Joss Bay
- Stone Bay
- Viking Bay
- Louisa Bay
- Dumpton Gap
Signs remain in place at each affected beach advising the public not to go into the sea or to enter the area below the high-tide mark. Access to the remainder of the beach and promenades however is still permitted and remains open to the public, with concessions open for business as usual.
Cleansing crews have been out all day to clear the shoreline and will be out early tomorrow morning (Friday 23 May) with the surf-rake following the high-tide to continue the clean-up operation.
Southern Water will also have contractors out again to assist with litter picking and cleansing of the shoreline.
The council has been working alongside the Environment Agency today to monitor the situation and water sample tests will continue to be taken to assess water quality at the affected beaches.
The council is keen to reassure members of the public that other beaches across the district are fully open.
This advice remains in place for the duration of tonight (Thursday 22 May).
An update will be provided tomorrow morning (Friday 23 May) at approximately 9am.
An update will be provided tomorrow morning (Friday 23 May) at approximately 9am.
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Conservative Group at Thanet District Council supports Compulsory Purchase Order option for Manston Airport
Thanks to the
ongoing efforts of Thanet MPs Sir Roger Gale and Laura Sandys, the option of a
Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) being used to ensure the survival of Manston as
an operating airport is a real possibility.
The Conservative
Group at Thanet District Council supports this initiative and urges the Thanet
Labour Group to move quickly to progress it before it is too late.
Conservative
Group Leader, Cllr Bob Bayford said: “These are exceptional circumstances and
we must consider all options to ensure that we keep Manston as an operational
airport for Thanet. A CPO has the potential to achieve this and I am
disappointed that yesterday Cllr David Green, Cabinet Member for Economic
Development, appeared to dismiss it. I
urge Cllr Johnston and her colleagues not to ignore this opportunity, to treat
this proposal with the seriousness it deserves and use it to try to save our
airport.”
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Get beneath the grid - Mondrian and Colour opens this Saturday and the Summer of Colour begins...
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