Cabinet to discuss proposal on Royal Sands development

Cabinet will consider outline details of a proposal that would potentially enable the Royal Sands development on Ramsgate seafront to move forward at a meeting next week (Thursday 16 October).

Thanet District Council has been in negotiations with Cardy Construction Ltd who have indicated that they are willing in principle to buy out existing development partner SFP Ventures UK Ltd.

The council served a breach notice on SFP earlier this year over non-completion of the works to build 107 residential units, a 60-bedroom hotel and commercial units on the former Pleasurama site.

This triggered a mediation process, during which the offer from Cardy was raised.

Cabinet member for estates Cllr Rick Everitt said: “Discussions with Cardy have been positive and this item is to share more detail with elected members and the public, as well as to move the matter forward, because we recognise the level of interest there is in the scheme.

“I must stress that because of the existing agreement, signed in 2006 and 2009, we are not currently able to market the site and that we are legally bound to take all reasonable steps to get the agreed scheme built out.

“However, progress is still subject to a successful conclusion to negotiations and a full due diligence process.”

The scheme would be built in accordance with the existing planning consent and the council would receive payments due under the current agreement in a more timely manner, as well as a guarantee that the site would revert to the council if works are not completed to the new schedule.

For more information please see our FAQ's.

ENDS

THANET’S AUSTRALIAN LINK AUSTRALIAN PUGIN EXPERT TO GIVE PUBLIC TALK AT ST AUGUSTINE’S, RAMSGATE

Thanet will be visited by a leading Pugin expert – travelling from Australia – next week. Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett is a Director of the Pugin Foundation in Australia, and will present a talk at Pugin’s personal church and burial-place in Ramsgate.

His talk, “Pugin in the Antipodes,” will focus on the work Augustus Pugin undertook in Australia. Most famous for designing much of the Houses of Parliament, Pugin lived in Ramsgate from 1843 until his death in 1852. Here he built his ideal design: St Augustine’s.

The talk will be at Pugin’s church of St Augustine, Ramsgate, on 15^th October at 7pm.

The talk is free, with donations welcome.

Pugin’s legacy, including Ramsgate’s spectacular buildings, is also part of Australian history. Although he never travelled to Australia, Pugin designed several churches for the then-colonies, and sent models of his designs across the seas.

It was whilst Pugin was living in Ramsgate that many of his Australian designs were built. Some of the most famous buildings in Australia – including St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, and St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, were designed by his pupils, and owe a great deal to the designs Pugin built in Ramsgate.

This talk will focus on Pugin’s Australian legacy, illustrating the link between Ramsgate and that great continent-country.

Fr Marcus Holden, Rector of St Augustine’s, said, “We are very fortunate to have Bishop Jarrett speaking here. He is a well-known aficionado of Pugin, and his talk promises to be well worth hearing.”

Centre Manager, John Coverdale, said, “St Augustine’s is really the centre of the Pugin and Gothic Revival world. Having an Australian give such a talk shows how wide the appeal of Ramsgate’s heritage is. We have real historical treasure here, and Bishop Jarrett will be most interesting to hear his perspective on it.”

Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett is Bishop of Lismore, New South Wales, and is of Kentish descent. He was born in Kyneton, Victoria, Australia, on 1st December, 1937, the elder son of Hylton and Beatrice Jarrett, the third generation to be born there of an English pioneer family in the district. He has Kentish ancestors.

He was educated at Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne. After working in London for several years in the Film Unit of BBC Television, he commenced studies for the Anglican ministry at the Theological College of the Society of the Sacred Mission at Kelham, Nottinghamshire. On returning to Australia he worked as an Anglican priest until he was received into the Catholic Church in 1965.

Archbishop Guilford Young accepted him as a candidate for the Archdiocese of Hobart and his further studies were entrusted to the Marist Fathers at St Peter Chanel Seminary, Toongabbie, NSW. Bishop Jarrett was ordained priest by Archbishop Young in Sydney on 14th May, 1970.

During his 30 years' ministry in Tasmania Bishop Jarrett was Administrator of St Mary's Cathedral and a parish priest in Hobart. He was active in ecumenical affairs as a member of the Executive of the Tasmanian Council of Churches and as Chaplain and Honorary Fellow of Jane Franklin Hall within the University of Tasmania. From 1994 to 1999 he was National Chairman of the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy.

Bishop Jarrett was appointed a bishop by Pope John Paul II in 2000, and his episcopal Ordination took place in St Carthage's Cathedral, Lismore, on 22 February 2001. Upon the retirement of Bishop Satterthwaite he became the fifth Bishop of Lismore on 1 December, 2001.

“Pugin in the Antipodes” by Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett, Pugin’s church of St Augustine, Ramsgate.

15^th October, 7pm. FREE, donations welcome.

Turner Contemporary announces 2014 autumn events programme

Jeremy Deller: English Magic opens at Turner Contemporary on 11 October 2014. English Magicfurther explores Jeremy Deller’s ongoing interest in the diverse nature of British society: its people, myths and folklore as well as its broad cultural, socio-political and economic history. Following a national tour since January 2014, Turner Contemporary presents the full spectrum and final UK showcase of the exhibition, commissioned by the British Council for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2013. The exhibition is accompanied by a series of stimulating talks and events. Contemporary artist Jeremy Deller is joined by political commentator John Kampfner to discuss the topic of wealth to coincide with Jeremy’s exhibition and the release of Kampfner’s book The Rich. Author and poet Clive Wilmer explores the work of William Morris and John Ruskin and their influence on Victorian society. To coincide the release of Mike Leigh’s biopic of JMW Turner on 31 October starring actor Timothy Spall, Tim Wright, the artist who taught Spall how to paint as Turner for the film, and Charlie Cobb, who produced the Turner paintings for the film, discuss working on the making of Mr Turner in an exclusive talk at Turner Contemporary. Throughout the autumn programme, the gallery will show monthly screenings of films made by artists. This series is presented in association with the ICA with support from The Foyle Foundation.  In December artist group Janez Janša, Janez Janša and Janez Janša undertake a presentation and performance organised in collaboration with UCA Canterbury. To conclude 2014, Turner Contemporary welcomes in the festive season with a performance by the Big Sing choir and a workshop of festive folk decorations with artist Zoe Murphy. Winter opening times Tuesday – Sunday and bank holidays, 10am – 5pm Admission to the gallery is free.          Other autumn highlights include:

Opening day Sat 11 Oct, 11am - 4pm, free Celebrate the opening of English Magic: interact with flying machines with artist Savinder Bual, see live birds of prey from Tomar Owl Sanctuary, make protest statements with artists Fiona De Bulat and Paul Atkins (11am – 2pm, free), then listen to The Melodians Steel Orchestra and Turner Contemporary’s resident choir the Big Sing, who feature in Jeremy Deller’s English Magic film (2pm / 4pm). Family workshops   Try something new in the gallery every week with our Easy Sunday activities.   Easy Sunday: Sculpt the Sky Sun 12, Sun 26 Oct, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Bring the outdoors in, creating your own cloud sculptures inspired by artist Edmund de Waal, whose new work atmosphere  is on show in our Sunley Gallery until 8 February 2015.   Easy Sunday:  Folk Art Sun 19 Oct , 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Jeremy Deller's work in English Magic looks at folk traditions. Create your own images and objects based on your own family traditions.   Student Late Tue 21 Oct, 6-8pm, free University students… for one night only, the gallery space is completely yours. Come to the gallery for a special late night event where you can create your own art with leading artists, and take part in a philosophical inquiry about the artworks on show at Turner Contemporary. Learn from the TC team and others.     Performance: I Believe in Unicorns  Thu 23 Oct, 4pm £3.50 children / free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Michael Morpurgo’s treasured story is told in a spellbinding one-woman show. This intimate one-woman show is set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages. It is the tale of the power of books and the bravery of a young boy called Tomas. Tomas hates reading and school, but his world is turned upside down the day he meets the Unicorn Lady in his local library… An enchanting and interactive production by Olivier Award nominated Wizard, I Believe in Unicorns sparks imagination in both young and old, and challenges you not to believe in unicorns after joining Tomas’s spellbinding journey. Add your own piece of magic to the story by bringing a children’s book to become part of the set and swap it for another at the end. In partnership with Theatre Royal Margate. Book tickets at theatreroyalmargate.com. Art on Screen:  Ryan Trecartin Wed 29 Oct, 6pm, £3 / £2 concessions Watch our series of films made by artists. LA-based artist Ryan Trecartin’s high-octane videos reference television and feature film; their surreal narratives spotlight American youth culture and its contradictions and nuances. Originally releasing his videos on YouTube in the mid-2000s, Trecartin’s visual vocabulary is heavy with irony and pop-culture motifs.   See more in the Art on Screen series: Loretta Fahrenholz 19 Nov Continental Drift 17 Dec   Family workshop: Big Prints Wed 29 and Thu 30 Oct, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode It’s the national Big Draw and you can create big industrial-sized prints with artist Jennifer Price.

Easy Sunday:  Folk Art Sun 2, Sun 16, Sun 30  Nov, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Jeremy Deller's work in English Magic looks at folk traditions. Create your own images and objects based on your own family traditions.   Felicity Aston Tue 4 Nov, 3pm, tickets £6 / £5 Explorer Felicity Aston was the first woman in the world to ski across Antarctica alone. In 2014, she made the 36,000km expedition from the UK to north-east Siberia. At this talk she gives an insight into her journey. A showcase of photographs from the expedition is on show in our ground floor exhibition Pole of Cold: What does winter mean to you? (4 November 2014 – 1 February 2015).     Adult workshop: Painting Wed 5, Wed 12, Wed 19, Wed 26 Nov / Wed 3 Dec, 10.30am – 1.30pm, £75 This autumn, Kent Adult Education is running a series of art courses for you to discover and develop your inner artist.   Become an expert at drawing and painting with guidance from artist Judith Bing at this 5 week course. The course runs from 5 November to 3 December.    Figure and Portrait Drawing Thu 6, Thu 13, Thu 20, Thu 27 Nov / Thu 4 Dec, 10am – 12.30pm, £75 This autumn, Kent Adult Education is running a series of art courses for you to discover and develop your inner artist. Over 5 weeks, perfect your figure and portrait drawing using live models.  Various approaches to portrait drawing will be introduced, with the focus on individual, one-to-one, tuition.    The course runs from 6 November to 4 December.    Digital Imaging Sat 8 Nov, 10am – 6pm, £50 This autumn, Kent Adult Education is running a series of art courses for you to discover and develop your inner artist.   Jeremy Deller and John Kampfner in conversation Thu 6 Nov, 6.30pm, tickets £8 / £6 / £23 for talk & 2 course dinner with wine What do a contemporary artist and a political commentator  have to say about wealth?  In Deller’s exhibition English Magic, mythical acts of revenge are taken on the excesses of oligarchs and the super-rich. In his new book, The Rich, John Kampfner profiles the psychology of the rich through the ages from ancient Egypt to the oligarchies of modern Russia and China: how they came to their wealth, how they spent it. In this lively discussion Deller and Kampfner explore the impact of capitalism on society. First Friday: Folk  Fri 7 Nov, 6-9pm, free Smugglers records return to the gallery for an evening of folk, with singer Will Varley’s irresistible songs, music and more.  Plus see English Magic at night and experience Kent’s folk music at its best.  Easy Sunday: Sculpt the Sky Sun 9 Nov, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Bring the outdoors in, creating your own cloud sculptures inspired by artist Edmund de Waal, whose new work atmosphere is on show in our Sunley Gallery until 8 February 2015.   Cracking the Crinoline  Sat 15 Nov, 1pm / 2pm / 3pm, free A short, sharp and surprising performance by Stephenson Thompson’s Moving Memory Company combining crinolines, corsets and boxing boots.  These Queen B’s remind us not to take little old ladies for granted.  Join them for a performance that is uplifting, life enhancing and will leave you reaching for your Marigolds.           Parliament Week: Art and Politics symposium Sat 15 Nov, 1.30 – 5pm, tickets £8 / £6, special café menu on the day for ticket holders Is all art political? Is there a difference between political art and propaganda? Can art make a real political impact, or does it just preach to the converted? Speakers Bernadette Buckley, Diarmuid Costello, JJ Charlesworth, Gordana Fontana-Giusti, Jon Kear, and others discuss these compelling questions.  Organised by the History of Art Department at the University of Kent in association with Turner Contemporary. Art on Screen: Loretta Fahrenholz Wed 19 Nov, 6pm, £3 / £2 concessions Watch our series of films made by artists. Loretta Fahrenholz’s films are diverse in subject matter, often arising through close collaboration with her subjects. At the heart of her filmmaking practice is the act of revealing social on socio-political conditions through the fictional interpretation of true events – her juxtaposition of pop culture references with intense human interactions creating an uneasy presence on screen.   The Making of Mr Turner Thu 20 Nov, 6:30pm, £10 / £8 To coincide with the release on 31 October of Mike Leigh’s biopic of JMW Turner starring actor Timothy Spall, Tim Wright, the artist who taught Spall how to paint as Turner for the film, and Charlie Cobb, who produced the Turner Paintings for the film, discuss working on the making of Mr Turner.    The films follows the last 25 years of Turner’s life, when he spent time in Margate and stayed at Sophia Booth’s guesthouse, where Turner Contemporary is now situated.     Parliament Week: Giant chess 21 Nov, 10am – 4pm, free Young people from Bradfield School in Gillingham, Kent display and demonstrate their handmade chess set created from recycled car parts, in partnership with Skills22/Catch22.  Easy Sunday special:  Festive Lanterns 23 Nov, 1 – 4pm drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Make large scale paper lanterns with artist Dawn Cole to bring with you on Friday 28 November for the turning on of Christmas lights and the start of the Christmas countdown in Margate. Youth gallery takeover Fri 21 and Sun 23 Nov Young people take over the gallery with tours, activities and performances on 23 November, plus they’ll be taking over the @TCMargate Twitter feed with a #whatif Q&A with artist Bob and Roberta Smith, discussing art and politics on 21 November. The Jarman Award Shortlist Sat 22 Nov, 10am-4pm, free, drop in The Jarman Award Touring Programme presents a selection of single screen film works by the 10 artists shortlisted for this year's prestigious Jarman Award: John Akomfrah, Sebastian Buerkner, Laura Buckley, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, Steven Claydon, Redmond Entwistle, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, Ursula Mayer, Rachel Reupke and Stephen Sutcliffe. Clive Wilmer on William Morris and John Ruskin  Thu 27 Nov, 3pm, £6 / £5, cup of tea included with every ticket Author and poet Clive Wilmer, the author of seven books of poetry and professor of English at Cambridge, explores the work of William Morris and John Ruskin and their influence on Victorian society.   Christmas lights switch on Fri 28 Nov, 4 -8pm, free Magical Margate starts the Christmas season with a festive event including carol-singing, music, and late night shopping, culminating in our lights switch on at 6pm. In the gallery, listen to the Big Sing choir singing festive pop music, make festive folk decorations with artist Zoe Murphy and enjoy festive food and drink in our café.

Easy Sunday: Sculpt the Sky Sun 7 Dec and Sun 21 Dec, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode At Sculpt the Sky, bring the outdoors in, creating your own cloud sculptures inspired by artist Edmund de Waal, whose new work atmosphere is on show in our Sunley Gallery until 8 February 2015.     Readymade: Janez Janša, Janez Janša and Janez Janša Thu11 Dec, 6pm, £4 / £3 concessions A presentation and performance by the artist group Janez Janša, Janez Janša and Janez Janša, whose 3 members changed their names to that of the Slovenian Prime Minister, a process documented in their controversial documentary My Name is Janez Janša (2012). Organised in collaboration with UCA Canterbury as part of the exhibition Despite Efficiency: Labour, Herbert Read Gallery, 24 November - 13 December 2014   Easy Sunday:  Folk Art Sun 14 Dec and Sun 28 Dec, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Jeremy Deller's work in English Magic looks at folk traditions. Create your own images and objects based on your own family traditions.           Art on Screen: Continental Drift Sun 17 Dec, 6pm, £3 / £2 concessions Watch our series of films made by artists. This group screening explores the roles of location, time and memory in our understanding and relationship to urban and rural space. With reference to sociality and nationality, artists reveal a variety of perspectives on territory, landscape and national borders, while others capture the universal languages of geological and man-made terrains.   Easy Bank Holiday: Sculpt the Sky Mon 29 Dec, 1 – 4pm drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Bring the outdoors in, creating your own cloud sculptures inspired by artist Edmund de Waal, whose new work atmosphere is on show in our Sunley Gallery until 8 February 2015.   Easy Holiday: Pottery Wed 31 Dec 2014  and Thu 1 Jan 2015, 1 – 4pm drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Make your own ‘atmospheric’ piece of pottery with Bev Burt and David Melville of the Kent Potters Association. Inspired by Edmund De Waal's atmosphere, on show in our Sunley Gallery until 8 February 2015, your artwork will become part of a collaborative piece.

Easy Sunday: Sculpt the Sky Sun 4 Jan, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Bring the outdoors in, creating your own cloud sculptures inspired by artist Edmund de Waal, whose new work atmosphere is on show in our Sunley Gallery until 8 February 2015..         Easy Sunday:  Folk Art Sun 11 Jan, 1 – 4pm, drop in £3.50 per child/ free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9 postcode Jeremy Deller's work in English Magic looks at folk traditions. Create your own images and objects based on your own family traditions.

Free exhibition tours Every Wed, Sat, Sun and bank holiday 11:30am, free Discover more about the exhibition Jeremy Deller: English Magic with a guided tour by our knowledgeable Gallery Assistant. Spotlight talks Every Friday, 11:30am, free Turner Contemporary staff give a personal tour of our exhibition Jeremy Deller: English Magic.              Family workshops Every Sunday, and Wednesday and Thursdays during school holidays £3 per child/free for adults, under 3s and families living in CT9   Craft Club Sat 25 Oct and Sat 29 Nov, 1-4pm, drop in, free Learn and practice different crafts with our friendly makers, including knitting, sewing, crochet, card-making and pegloom weaving.   Full event information can be found on our website at turnercontemporary.org/whatson

The Friends of Ellington Park are holding a public meeting at St Laurence Parish Hall on Friday, 17 October at 7pm. There will be news on the Park’s Heritage Lottery Bid, as well all the latest on the Wildlife Garden and other ongoing projects. There will also be an opportunity for questions and answers, and a referendum on security, in light of the recent arson attack in the children’s play area. Representatives from Thanet Council, Ramsgate Town Council and Kent Police will also be in attendance. Public Meeting

The Friends of Ellington Park are holding a public meeting at St Laurence Parish Hall on Friday, 17 October at 7pm.

There will be news on the Park’s Heritage Lottery Bid, as well all the latest on the Wildlife Garden and other ongoing projects.  There will also be an opportunity for questions and answers, and a referendum on security, in light of the recent arson attack in the children’s play area.

Representatives from Thanet Council, Ramsgate Town Council and Kent Police will also be in attendance.

Cllr Chris Wells

TDC Conservative leader Cllr Bob Bayford has today responded to the news that Broadstairs Councillor Chris Wells has joined UKIP.

‘The defection of Cllr Wells to UKIP is both surprising and disappointing. Surprising because he has not previously indicated any ideological empathy with the right-wing party, and disappointing because he has received considerable support from the Conservative party through his recent financial difficulties.”

Chairman of South Thanet Conservative Association, Lynne Conolly stated: “We were very disappointed that Cllr Chris Wells has defected to UKIP. Over the past three years the Association and his Conservative colleagues have given him huge support during his considerable personal difficulties. Cllr Wells has many strengths - it appears that loyalty isn't one of them.”