Wednesday, 16 January 2013

All aboard the coaching!

Thanet District Council’s ‘Sport 4NRG’ team wants to help energetic 16 -18year olds to engage with sport to help them build valuable skills by doing things they enjoy.  The team is working with Charlton Athletic to offer training towards gaining a LEVEL 1 SPORT & ACTIVE LEISURE BTEC as well as an FA Level 1 Coaching Badge, which can lead to participants getting paid to deliver football sessions.
Sport & Leisure Officer, James Gregory said: “This course is ideal for unemployed young people who can commit to spend two days a week for eighteen weeks on the course, which will be run at one of our local youth centres.
“Our aim is to give the young people of Thanet the skills, qualifications and experience which will help them to gain employment.  The team-building experience they gain and the demonstration of commitment that they show is the kind of thing employers look for. So, there are plenty of advantages beyond the use they can make of the sport qualification itself, and the opportunities it gives them for a higher quality of life as well as for finding new friends.”
The nationally accredited course, with a £200 completion fee to successful participants, is free too, and they won’t even have to pay to get to the sessions as travel expenses are covered by Sport4NRG to remove any barriers to taking part and achieving success.
Cabinet Member for Community Services Cllr. Iris Johnston added: “I’m really pleased that James and the team are carrying on our long tradition of association with Charlton Athletic to create opportunities for this important age group.”
Although the actual location and timing is still to be confirmed places are going fast, so don’t miss your chance to show your interest.  Call James on 01843 75 7728, email him on james.gregory@thanet.gov.uk, or message ‘James Thanet Sports’ on Facebook!

Kent TV chef to host gourmet wine tasting event

The Ambrette to host gourmet wine tasting events

Six-course tasting menu with matched wines for £49.99

Local chef to feature on BBC Food Programme and Channel Four TV

The renowned Ambrette Restaurant in Margate has announced the retrun
of its popular gourmet wine tasting evenings, in conjunction with the
Cranbrook-based wine and cheese merchants, Perfect Partners.

Wine and food connoisseurs have three dates to chose from, all
Sundays:  27th January, 12th May and Sunday 8th September 2013,
beginning at 7pm.

Acclaimed chef patron Dev Biswal will be serving a 6-course tasting
menu with matched wines chosen by Perfect Partners co-owner Richard
Clarke at £49.99.

“The quality of most wines worldwide has improved hugely, but they
still demand rigorous selection - some of the traditional wine regions
disappoint, but the new areas astound at great value,” said Richard
Clarke, co owner of Perfect Partners, adding, “Our philosophy is to
find quality wines, irrespective of label or country, that represent
good examples of their grape variety and provenance at a fair price.”

The Ambrette is hoping to dispel the myth that you cannot drink wine
with Indian food and that beer is the preferred accompaniment.
Matching the right wine with the right flavours is simply a matter of
chemistry.

“The reason why wines do not pair well with a curry from your local
take-away is because most of these curries are highly flavoured with
cooked onion and garlic containing sulphur compounds such as allicin,
diallyl disulphide and diallyl trisulphide,” explained Biswal, adding,
“These clash harshly with the taste molecules present in most wines.”

Dev Biswal will feature on BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme on Sunday 3rd
February.  The programme, which will be repeated on Monday 4th at
3.30pm February and also available on BBC iPlayer), reporting on how
many senior citizens in Thanet are eschewing traditional Sunday
roasts, in favour of fine Indian ding, taking advantage of The
Ambrette’s Senior Privilege Card, entitling them to 2-for1 lunchtime
dining.

Dev will also be seen giving money saving tips on two series of
Channel 4 TV’s ‘Supercrimpers Challenge’ being broadcast in February
and March.
In one of the programmes Dev shows a pensioner how to prepare a
gourmet 3- course meal for six people for less than £20.  The starter
is a nutritious nettle soup, foraged from her garden.

Editor’s Notes:

Dev Biswal grew up in Calcutta.  He trained at the Dubai Sheraton,
before moving to London, aged 26 in 2003 for spells at Mangoes and
Eriki.   He became a partner in The Indian Princess in Margate in
December 2006, becoming patron and rebranding it as The Ambrette in
2010.

Perfect Partners: Richard Clarke, studied Mechanical Engineering at
Cambridge University, but was enticed into the food and wine trade
with Jacksons of Piccadilly in 1972 as buyer of French cheeses, then
wines, because of his rudimentary French gained from having spent a
month working on a farm in Normandy. At Jacksons, Clarke was mentored
by their wine consultant Harry Waugh, one of the first Masters of Wine
and director of Chateau Latour, one of the great wines of Bordeaux.

In 1975 he moved to a small shipper/wine merchant who supplied the
Hilton Hotels, The Ritz and Cunard Group owners of the QE2.  The
company was amalgamated in 1979 with a specialist in the duty free
market supplying alrlines and ships. For the next 10 years Clarke
advised Cunard, P&O, Sealink, British Caledonian Airways and many
other airlines

In 1988, Richard and his wife Rosemary I bought Perfect Partners,
Cheese & Wine Merchants of Cranbrook.  Richard Clarke has witnessed a
total revolution in the UK wine market.  In the 1970s the only serious
wines that were generally available here were French and German.
Italian restaurants mainly offered a very basic range of indifferent
wines.  Spain, apart from Rioja and Sherry, provided bulk wines with
little character.


Perfect Partners, Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF T: 01580 712633

Saturday, 12 January 2013

New planning applications,

The TDC planning website is one of the most bizarre websites I have ever come across in as much as the web addresses of the pages on it change after a few hours so you can’t publish links to them. If you want to look at any of the applications you need to go to the site and enter the application reference in the search box, this link takes you to the site http://www.ukplanning.com/thanet


Date Published*Application No.AddressStatus
11 Jan 2013F/TH/13/001029 GOODWIN ROAD RAMSGATE CT110LPcurrent
09 Jan 2013F/TH/12/101730 GORDON ROAD WESTWOOD MARGATE CT94DZcurrent
08 Jan 2013F/TH/12/100988 ELLINGTON ROAD, RAMSGATE, CT11 9SX current
07 Jan 2013A/TH/12/0990UNIT 1 WESTWOOD GATEWAY MARGATE ROAD BROADSTAIRS CT10 2QUcurrent
07 Jan 2013F/TH/12/095612 WIMBORNE PLACE RAMSGATE CT126EUcurrent
07 Jan 2013F/TH/12/0973SEAVIEW HOUSE BROADSTAIRS SAILING CLUB 12 HARBOUR STREET BROADSTAIRS CT101EUcurrent
07 Jan 2013F/TH/12/099659 DUMPTON PARK DRIVE BROADSTAIRS CT101RHcurrent
03 Jan 2013A/TH/12/098845A WESTWOOD CROSS MARGATE ROAD BROADSTAIRS CT10 2BFcurrent
03 Jan 2013A/TH/12/0994143 NORTHDOWN ROAD MARGATE CT92QYcurrent
03 Jan 2013F/TH/12/093641 NASH COURT GARDENS MARGATE CT94DGcurrent

New documents published by Thanet District Council,

Thanet District Council licensing applications,

Name of Applicant / Club Address of Premises / Club Nature of application. New or variation Proposed licensable activities / or proposed variation Date by which representations may be made
(no less than 28 days after date received)
Anthony Wait Vera's Kitchen, 11 Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 16 January 2013
Alan Dolan West Bay Cafe, Sea Road, Westgate on Sea, CT8 8QA New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 17 January 2012
Mr Paul Spickett The Hovelling Boat Inn, 12 York Street, Ramsgate CT11 9DS New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 05 February 2013

Friday, 11 January 2013

Local mariner turns artist

Experiences at sea expressed through paintings

Living in Acol, David Redfern has spent over forty years travelling the world by sea.   Starting off at the top in the English America’s Cup team in 1983, 1987 and 1990 then touring Britain promoting 12 metre yacht sailing, he has experienced the sea in all moods.   His sailing ranges from iceberg and whale spotting at night off Newfoundland in Canada, sailing the American east coast, crossing the Great Lakes of Canada or just pootling about in Falmouth in a tiny classic sailing boat.  He organised a tour of England in a replica of one of Nelson’s ships to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar in 2005. In recent times, David has travelled the Caribbean and the Pacific lecturing on cruise ships about his maritime experiences.
Now, some of those moments, and some imagined ones are to be on show at the York Street Gallery in 

Ramsgate (6-13th Feb) where David is having his first one-man exhibition.
When he left art school in 1962 his tutor told him that he was too lazy to paint, and would probably not touch a canvas again until he retired.  David now reflects on how true that prophecy was, having, in retirement taken to the brush again to paint pictures “ ..not in any modern or abstract way, but simple pictures that people can understand and hopefully relate to”. The paintings include local landscapes as well.
There is a dramatic painting showing a heavy sea off  Ramsgate, experienced when David recently sailed a replica mediaeval caravel from the time of Columbus from London to Sandwich. The journey was after the ship, the ‘Matthew’ had taken part in the Queen’s Jubilee Regatta on the Thames in June and one large painting on display was taken from sketches made on Regatta day showing tall-ships and the royal barge by Tower Bridge.

“A fantasy picture that I really enjoyed painting was my rendition of the Viking ship ’Hugin’ shown as it might have been in the Viking invasion off Ebbsfleet, near to Cliffsend.” “ I really enjoyed trying to imagine what a fleet of Viking ships might have looked like at the time”. The exhibition is at the York Street Gallery 

Ramsgate from the 6th to the 13th February. Open every day. The gallery is in the little side street alongside Wilkinson’s and has been a major focus for local art since it opened last year, winning a prestigious award from the Ramsgate Society for its owner, Mike Samson.  


Thursday, 10 January 2013

Residents to be spared from the predicted rise in Council Tax

Thanet District Council is set to peg its Council Tax at the same level for a fourth consecutive year.  This is despite suffering a further 7.4 per cent reduction in its annual formula grant from central government for 2013/14.
 
The latest government cut means that the formula grant will have fallen from £13.3m three years ago to just £8.5m from April this year.  However, recently published official figures reveal that the grant will be reduced again for 2014/15 - to £7.1m - an overall drop of 47 per cent.
 
In spite of this, the council’s cabinet has put together a budget which will enable it to withdraw its earlier recommendation for a 2 per cent increase in Council Tax. This would have been equivalent to £4.20 extra per year for a Band D household.
 
Cabinet will make its formal recommendation when it meets on 22 January, with the final decision being taken by the full council on 7 February.
 
Cllr Rick Everitt, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “When we considered the draft budget last November we needed to find almost £800,000 to balance the books for next year, and at that stage an increase in Council Tax looked unavoidable.
 
”We had also pencilled in a £580,000 contribution from the council’s New Homes Bonus reserve, although if possible we would have preferred to spend that money on one-off initiatives to improve Thanet for the benefit of residents and visitors. 
 
“This was the prudent position for us to take, based on the information to hand at the time. However, given the continuing pressure on household finances we were very clear that we would continue to search for other ways to close the gap, including identifying additional back-office savings and finding other sources of funding. We have now been able to do this.
 
“Following this work and the 19 December announcement of the local government settlement, I am delighted to announce that we have fully closed the gap for this year. The settlement is slightly better for 2013/14 than anticipated but is, unfortunately, much worse for 2014/15.
 
“Cabinet is now able to recommend to council that there should be no Council Tax increase and no additional draw-down of the New Homes Bonus to fund our existing services in 2013/14.
 
“That’s the good news. However, the council’s financial position remains extremely tight. Our officers are fully stretched by their current workload and there is no escaping that there will still be some very difficult choices to be made in the years ahead.”
 
The council’s budget plan shows a net spend on services of £19.37m next year (this is after taking account of the income expected from fees, charges and miscellaneous grants), down from £20.38m in 2012/13, despite the effects of inflation and other cost pressures.

Saturday, 5 January 2013

New planning applications,

The TDC planning website is one of the most bizarre websites I have ever come across in as much as the web addresses of the pages on it change after a few hours so you can’t publish links to them. If you want to look at any of the applications you need to go to the site and enter the application reference in the search box, this link takes you to the site http://www.ukplanning.com/thanet 


Date Published*Application No.AddressStatus
03 Jan 2013A/TH/12/098845A WESTWOOD CROSS MARGATE ROAD BROADSTAIRS CT10 2BFcurrent
03 Jan 2013A/TH/12/0994143 NORTHDOWN ROAD MARGATE CT92QYcurrent
03 Jan 2013F/TH/12/093641 NASH COURT GARDENS MARGATE CT94DGcurrent
24 Dec 2012A/TH/12/0947BUILDER CENTER, WESTWOOD ROAD, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 2NU current
24 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0745MARGATE AND CLlFTONVILLE CHURCHES ADVERTISING RIGHT, MARINE DRIVE, MARGATE, CT91DH current
24 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0961LAND ADJOINING FOXBOROUGH HOUSE, FOXBOROUGH LANE, MINSTER, RAMS GATE current
24 Dec 2012F/TH/12/097642 KING STREET, RAMSGATE, CT11current
24 Dec 2012F/TH/12/097716 WESTCLIFF ROAD, MARGATE, CT95DN current
24 Dec 2012F/TH/12/099338A SPENCER SQUARE, RAMSGATE, CT11 9LD current
24 Dec 2012L/TH/12/081838A SPENCER SQUARE, RAMSGATE, CT11 9LD current
24 Dec 2012L/TH/12/09894 KINGSGATE CASTLE, JOSS GAP ROAD, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 3PH current
21 Dec 2012OL/TH/12/0969SPELDHURST MARLBOROUGH ROAD RAMSGATE CT119BUcurrent
* This date is when Thanet District Council first published this case file.
Back to search

New documents published by Thanet District Council,

Thanet District Council licensing applications,

Name of Applicant / Club Address of Premises / Club Nature of application. New or variation Proposed licensable activities / or proposed variation Date by which representations may be made
(no less than 28 days after date received)
Sebastian Kingsley Newington Post Office, 85 Newington Road, Ramsgate CT12 6PP New premises licence application Supply of alcohol 20 December 2012
AKSSR Ltd Costcutter, 41-43 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2RN New premises licence application Supply of alcohol 26 December 2012
Genting Casinos UK Limited Zion Place, Margate CT9 1RP Variation to premises licence Increase in hours for supply of alcohol 27 December 2012
Anthony Wait Vera's Kitchen, 11 Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 16 January 2013
Alan Dolan West Bay Cafe, Sea Road, Westgate on Sea, CT8 8QA New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 17 January 2012

YOUR OPENING VOLLEY FOR A NEW INTEREST

With the huge success and popularity of indoor and beach volleyball at the London 2012 Olympics, Thanet District Council (TDC) are offering residents with a passion for coaching the opportunity to do something new and rewarding next year. If you are looking for a new challenge then keep ahead of the game by checking out the Council’s Level 1 Volleyball coaching course in February.

Colin Rouse Thanet District Council’s Sports Development Officer said: “Volleyball is a fantastic sport for taking that first step into coaching. - Whatever your ability or experience volleyball is fun and coaching techniques can be adapted to suit all abilities.  Already one of the top three most-played sports worldwide; it is rapidly becoming more and more popular in the UK. We are keen to get more local coaches qualified to help drive the development of both indoor and beach volleyball in the area.  By offering this course we aim to encourage these new coaches to get involved in coaching at the emerging community sports clubs, delivering coaching sessions at the new Beach sports court and to have the opportunity to boost their coaching résumés."
The three week course will start on Saturday 16 February, with the following sessions on 23 February and 9 March. It will be based at the Ursuline Sports College, Westgate on Sea and will consist of both the practical and theoretical elements. The course fee is £150.00 per candidate, but TDC will provide 50% funding for any Thanet-based participants.
To book your place on the Level 1 Volleyball Course please contact Colin Rouse on 01843 577032 or email colin.rouse@thanet.gov.uk
If you would like to know more, or to find out how to get involved in sport in your area, please email sport@thanet.gov.uk or visit www.thanet.gov.uk/sport.

Thanet Council - Free sports activities to start January 14th

Adults in Thanet can now get involved in free sports activities to help kick start the New Year.
Sport 4 Life is an eight week sports activity programme which is being run by Thanet District Council’s Sport Matters team and local sports providers to offer free activities, from Monday 14 January 2013.
Adults can sign up and try out one or more sports activities, which include Futsal, Netball, Dance, Zumba gold, Light Fitness Workout and Pilates. If participants enjoy the activities they have taken part in, the Sport’s Matters team will link them up with a local club to help them continue their activity.
Cllr. Iris Johnston, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “The staff in Sport Matters are doing a great job in motivating and encouraging people to take up a new activity in 2013.

“There are so many barriers stopping people from taking up sport or activities to keep fit and healthy, so this is a brilliant initiative for adults to join up to.

“This eight week FREE programme has been devised to improve your mental and physical strength, and to try to change people’s attitude to keeping fit and healthy. Let’s see the New Year in with a kick or a jump or even a cha cha.”
Sport 4 Life was first launched in January 2011 when more than 50 people took part in a range of sports activities. Last year 118 adults took part.
Jasmin Rose, from St Nicholas at Wade signed up for Kick boxing last year.  
She said: “The course was fantastic and very accessible for beginners to try a new sport.
“I have continued with boxing and self-defence since completing the Sport 4 Life course because throughout the course I found my physical fitness improving. It also gave me the extra motivation to exercise more throughout the week between classes, eat more healthily and I found my overall wellbeing improved.
“I would highly recommend the courses to anyone who is thinking about getting into a new sport or wants to get fit for the New Year.”
Activity
Day
Where
Time
Return 2 Netball
Monday
Ursuline Sports Centre
7-8pm
Strictly Dance Thanet
Monday
The Baptist Church, Margate
7.30-8.30pm
Zumba Gold
Monday
Hartsdown Leisure Centre
1-2pm
Futsal
Tuesday
Hartsdown Leisure Centre
5.30-6.30pm
Let’s Play Volleyball
Wednesday
St George’s School, Broadstairs
6-7pm
Light Fitness Workout
Wednesday
Hartsdown Leisure Centre
2-3pm
Pilates
Thursday
Hartsdown Leisure Centre
1-2pm
Badminton & Table Tennis
Thursday
Ramsgate Sports Centre
5.30-6.30pm
Adults can book online now at www.thanet.gov.uk/sport or for more information email sport@thanet.gov.uk or call 01843 577032.

BROADSTAIRS - FIRST STEPS TO A HEALTHY NEW YOU

Free Health and Disability Information Event at Broadstairs Library – 16 January  
Were you an armchair sports fan throughout the Olympics?  Did you watch and celebrate Manchester City winning the Premier League, cheer Andy Murray at Flushing Meadows and put you foot on the pedal with all Bradley Wiggins’ successes?
Well, by the end of the Christmas period the chances are your adrenaline levels will be up - like your calorie intake - but your own physical activity will be down.  Or perhaps you have a disability, and watched the Paralympics, wishing that you felt as healthy as the competitors there!
Either way:
Is it time for a New Year – New You?
Brilliant! That’s just what’s on offer at Broadstairs Library on Wednesday 16 January: Between 10am and 2pm you’ll be able to find out all about how to set yourself some healthy-living goals and stick to them!
Alternatively, if you have concerns over changes to the Health Service, or worries about relatives and their care needs then the Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will be on hand to explain its role as a vital cog in the new health structure, while some of the area’s Cognitive Therapy groups will be there to provide information on the support available to people with dementia, and to their families and carers.
The event is being jointly run by Thanet Gateway and by Health Trainers, with their "whole person" approach. You’ll also have the opportunity to get general advice from the Disability Drop in Centre and the Sportsnet Group – helping people with disabilities to take part in mainstream sport.
Cabinet member for Community Services, Cllr Iris Johnston said: “If you want to make positive and healthy changes to your life then the Broadstairs event will be a must!  While Health Trainers can help  you access all kinds of additional health services such as emotional wellbeing, the stop smoking service, sexual health, exercise and healthy eating, there will also be loads of other agencies  around to guide you too.”
Staff from the Children's Centre will be on hand to illustrate the many ways that they can help children and their families get off to a good start, while Adult Education will offer opportunities to pick up from there – broadening your mind, helping to make you more employable, or just maintaining your sanity!
Kent Supported Employment can help people with disabilities get into work while The Royal School for Deaf Children have a range of volunteering and qualification opportunities which provide an excellent way of raising self-esteem and promoting positive mental health.
Just turn up at this free event, or for more information, please contact Matthew Munson, Front of House Coordinator at the Thanet Gateway on 01843 577942 matthew.munson@ekservices.org

Thursday, 3 January 2013

Independent Thanet Councillor calls for Coalition


Independent Councillor Ian Driver declared that “it’s time to call an end to Thanet Council’s culture of yah-boo playground politics and start doing government for grown-ups”.

His statement follows a Thanet Council meeting in December 2012 when a series of controversial votes were tied 28-28 and important decisions made on the casting ballot of Council Chairman.

Said Driver “it’s becoming clear that no single party can control Thanet Council and that stable governance is less and less likely. This is the last thing the people of Thanet need – a divided and feuding Council – at a time when the budget and services are under attack, at a time when we need to be regenerating the local economy and creating new jobs, and at a time when we have a major social housing crisis to deal with in Thanet.”

I publicly call on the leaders of the 2 major parties to meet with the Independent Group of Councillors to talk about establishing a coalition cabinet at Thanet which will run the Council in the interests of local people rather than for party political advantage. I also challenge the Leaders of the big parties to relax the party whip system and let councillors vote on the basis of their own views and opinions rather than rigid party lines which often oppose the public interest”.

“They say the New Year is a time to change and do things differently well here’s a unique opportunity for Thanet’s politicians to push party lines and dogma to one side and try to work together in coalition for the common good of local people”

End of Year Report 2012 Mayor of Ramsgate Cllr David Green



Dear All,
Please find attached a personal view of where Ramsgate Town Council is positioned at the end of 2012, begining of 2013. All comments welcome.
Cllr David Green
27 La Belle Alliance Square
Ramsgate, Kent,
CT118HZ
01843591495
Blog http://ramsgate1.blogspot.co.uk/


Despite the gloomy economic news, the awful Christmas weather, and Government policies that show little regard towards those least able to cope with reduced finances, I am still optimistic for Ramsgate in 2013. May 2013 will see the end of my four year stint as Ramsgate Mayor and Chairman of Ramsgate Council. I’ve been Chairman since the Council’s formation and so cannot escape being associated with its failures and whatever successes have been achieved.

I like to think that the last four years have seen a rise in self belief and pride in the Town and that the Town Council has played a small part in this. With a small budget, few staff, and very limited powers, we decided, through necessity, that our main impact should be through facilitating other groups in the Town, prepared to work for their and Ramsgate’s benefit.

Our one statutory responsibility, the Town Allotments, are a source of pride, they are now well managed, 100% occupied, with short waiting lists. We are pleased that TDC are confident enough to grant us management rights over the remaining allotments in the Ramsgate area.

TDC’s closure of its Visitor Information Centre in Ramsgate led to us taking on that facility, and turned out to be a blessing. It acted as a catalyst in the relocation of our offices to the Custom House which has placed us in the centre of Ramsgate’s thriving seafront. We are grateful to the group of volunteers that run the facility for us. Their knowledge and patience continue to impress. Similarly, the demise of Ramsgate Town Partnership has led to us taking responsibility for Ramsgate’s Christmas lights and New Year fireworks.

Formation of the Town Council appears to have coincided with a revitalisation of the Ramsgate Society, and many of the Town’s Residents Associations. We applaud them all and are pleased to help their work. The Ramsgate Society’s work on the Seafront Shelters is bold, ambitious and a total triumph! There are many others, too numerous to mention individually, however I must thank the group working to maintain and improve the Montefiore Wood, now secure in the Council’s ownership.

Ramsgate is blessed with numerous groups willing to give their time and energy to create events for the Town and visitor’s enjoyment. The Town Council has worked with TDC to support most of these and has contributed this year directly to the Jubilee Celebrations, the Olympic Torch Relay and the Christmas Lights switch on. Particularly pleasing to me are the revival of the Town Carnival and the increasingly successful Ramsgate Arts Festival, the Summer Squall.  Our events organisation, REO is proving an increasing success, though entirely voluntary and independent, it has our full support.

There are many resources in Ramsgate that deserve to be cherished and recognised as the assets they are, or could be, given refurbishment and tender loving care. These include the Royal Harbour itself, often quoted as a jewel in Thanet’s crown, but which does not receive the detailed conservation attention that I would like. These aspects of the Town, including the Regency buildings, our parks and public gardens, and some of the empty seafront buildings could all add greatly to the attractiveness of Ramsgate as a place to live, work or visit.

The Town Council does not have the resources to restore and maintain these assets alone, but we can and have acted as an advocate of action by higher councils, and voluntary groups. We are encouraged for example, by the plans of the Friends of Ellington Park, the work on Albion Gardens, the Project Motorhouse Group’s plans for Westcliff Hall and the Group I chair looking to restore Ramsgate’s wartime tunnels as a visitor attraction.  We have been less successful in persuading TDC to invest in the grounds and buildings in their ownership. There has been some progress with the Maritime Museum and the Royal Harbour Brassiere back in use. We anticipate good news early in the New Year, regarding the occupation of Albion House as a boutique hotel.

There remains however the restoration of the Royal Victoria Pavilion and associated Ramsgate Main Sands. Together with the proposed development on the Royal Sands site, this area should be a source of economic development in the Town, centred on the only south facing sandy beach in the South East.
We regard one of the Town Council’s functions being the promotion of the Town as a place to live, work and to visit. We recognise the efforts of other bodies such as Visit Kent and Thanet District Council’s Tourism department in this regard, but do not want Ramsgate’s offer to be overlooked in the broader picture.

As well as the beach, the Royal Harbour and marina, and seafront cafés and restaurants, Ramsgate attracts visitors through its historical associations with the architect, Edward Pugin, the Christian missionary, St Augustine and the Dunkirk rescue of little ships during the Second World War. I chair a new group that is dedicated to the promotion of the Jewish philanthropist, Sir Moses Montefiore and his association with the Town. Sir Moses has a considerable reputation internationally as well as the noted donation of the Town Insignia to Ramsgate.

In considering how the Town Council could contribute to the promotion of the Town and its businesses, we have concluded that a modern, visitor focussed, web site is required together with a series of well promoted Town Trails designed to attract walking and cycling visitors and to promote attractions and businesses on the routes. In association with “Explore Kent” these developments should launch in spring 2013.

In difficult economic times, the vitality of Ramsgate Town Centre is a concern. We plan to offer all Ramsgate Town businesses free internet advertising on the Town web site and Town Trails. We have negotiated revised town centre cleaning schedules with TDC, and convened a group to tackle the perception of antisocial behaviour in the town. Ramsgate still has a solid core of daily shopping retail outlets including butchers, green grocers, bakers, chemists, general grocers, hardware shops, supermarkets, a fishmongers and weekly market. There are encouraging signs of new businesses opening including two art galleries.

We are talking to TDC regarding the vitality of the weekly market, the maintenance of the street furniture and multi storey car park, and parking policy in general. We have recently negotiated an agreement with TDC allowing us to stage events in Albert and Charlotte Courts to attract people into the town.

The Town Council is hoping that both an association of town traders and a Portas style “town team” will flourish in the New Year.  We need their insight and input into our plans to improve the town. Our own survey of resident’s priorities is being collated for publication.

With regard to the broader town, Ramsgate has suffered considerably through Kent County Council’s policy that they should reduce their presence in each District to one outlet per service, and in Thanet’s case that outlet should be in Margate. We have lost our Age Concern at Foresters Hall, both our KCC staffed Youth Clubs, and soon to loose the Richborough Household Waste recycling Centre. Ramsgate Town Council has supported campaigns led by Ramsgate County Councillor Elizabeth Green to retain the Youth Clubs and Richborough. These campaigns are still vibrant and we hope will be ultimately successful. We expect the Town’s Library service to be threatened next.

Next year I hope to focus TDC’s attention on the children’s play facilities in each of the Ramsgate wards and to ensure each Community has a suitable community building to provide focus for resident’s efforts to improve their areas.

The news, late in 2012 that Newington is to receive a £1M grant for community led projects is very exciting. Details are sketchy at present, but appear to include both the Marlowe Academy and Dame Janet School.

Cllr Driver leaves TIG


I was astounded to find out via the Thanet District Council public web site that Councillor Ian Driver has left the Thanet Independent Group to join Cllr King’s Independent Group. I have been concerned for weeks, due to Cllr Driver’s failure to respond to my emails and voice messages, and I am both surprised and shocked that he has not had the common courtesy to tender his resignation in writing.
Despite this, however, I would like to thank him for his contribution to the Thanet Independent Group, and I wish him and his new ‘team’well. I hope that he will encourage them to support his flagship issues, such as Live Animal Exports, Race Relations and LGBT Equality.
Councillor John Worrow
Thanet Independent Group Leader

http://tdc-mg-dmz.thanet.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0

Thursday, 27 December 2012

THANET IN TRANSITION SWAP SHOP


Thanet Swap Shop
There will be another free afternoon Swap Shop on Saturday 12th January at 60 High Street in Margate (opp KFC). Everyone is invited to come along with anything they want to swap.
Thanet in Transition, who are working towards a better future for us all, have organised the event and they will even serve up free tea and biscuits to all who attend.
Open from 2pm-4pm you are invited to take along toys, clothes, books and anything from the house and garden that you want to swap with the things that other people bring.
"We will all have some unwanted gifts after Christmas" said Rox Tesla, from The Streets Ahead Margate hub, who are donating the shop space. "And this is a good chance to trade for something more useful".
Thanet in Transition member Charlotte Wilson added "If we can find a good home for any unwanted items then nothing gets thrown away and wasted. All we ask is that you bring your own shopping bags".
Thanet in Transition is planning more events so that that people can get together to make it cheaper to live here, keep the money in Thanet and adapt to the changing climate - while having fun. If you would like to offer a central venue in Ramsgate or Broadstairs, for an event that brings in the community, please email transition@new2margate.com or call Sue on 07855 257 776.
Thanet in Transition is part of a global Transition Movement that creates community-led activities to help achieve a 'soft-landing' to a real and sustainable future.

Monday, 24 December 2012

New planning applications,

The TDC planning website is one of the most bizarre websites I have ever come across in as much as the web addresses of the pages on it change after a few hours so you can’t publish links to them. If you want to look at any of the applications you need to go to the site and enter the application reference in the search box, this link takes you to the site http://www.ukplanning.com/thanet 


Date Published*Application No.AddressStatus
21 Dec 2012OL/TH/12/0969SPELDHURST MARLBOROUGH ROAD RAMSGATE CT119BUcurrent
20 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0980LAND ADJOINING GRANVILLE MARINA MARINA ESPLANADE RAMSGATE unknown
19 Dec 2012F/TH/12/098277 - 79 NORTHDOWN ROAD, MARGATE, CT9 2RJcurrent
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/093818 ALBION ROAD BROADSTAIRS CT102UPcurrent
18 Dec 2012A/TH/12/095731 KING STREET, RAMSGATE, CT11 8NP current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/089526 WESTGATE BAY AVENUE, WESTGATE ON SEA, CT8 8TA current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/093152 WEST CLIFF ROAD, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 1PU current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0942NORTHDOWN C P SCHOOL, TENTERDEN WAY, MARGATE, CT9 3RE current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/09444 DARYNGTON AVENUE, BIRCHINGTON, CT7 9PS current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/095515 STANCOMB AVENUE, RAMSGATE, CT11 0EX current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0958ALDI STORE LTD, ZION PLACE, MARGATE, CT9 1RP current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0964LAND NORTH OF HAINE ROAD BROADSTAIRS AND WEST OF NASH ROAD, MARGATE current
18 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0981130 KING STREET, RAMSGATE current
17 Dec 2012F/TH/12/093718A ALBION ROAD, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 2UPcurrent
17 Dec 2012F/TH/12/096669 PRINCE CHARLES ROAD, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 3HHcurrent
17 Dec 2012F/TH/12/0967OSTERIA POSILLIPO, 14 ALBION STREET, BROADSTAIRS,current
14 Dec 2012L/TH/12/096814 ALBION STREET, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 1LUcurrent
* This date is when Thanet District Council first published this case file.

New documents published by Thanet District Council,

Thanet District Council licensing applications,

Name of Applicant / Club Address of Premises / Club Nature of application. New or variation Proposed licensable activities / or proposed variation Date by which representations may be made
(no less than 28 days after date received)
Sebastian Kingsley Newington Post Office, 85 Newington Road, Ramsgate CT12 6PP New premises licence application Supply of alcohol 20 December 2012
AKSSR Ltd Costcutter, 41-43 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2RN New premises licence application Supply of alcohol 26 December 2012
Genting Casinos UK Limited Zion Place, Margate CT9 1RP Variation to premises licence Increase in hours for supply of alcohol 27 December 2012
Anthony Wait Vera's Kitchen, 11 Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 16 January 2013
Alan Dolan West Bay Cafe, Sea Road, Westgate on Sea, CT8 8QA New premises licence application Supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment 17 January 2012