Ho ho! I never tire of running this photo from the front page of Adscene back in April. There's Our Sandy handing over the keys of Ramsgate's crumbling West Cliff Hall to the Global Generation Church, just in time to make happy regeneration headlines before the local council elections.Not long after, TDC's Chief Executive Richard Samuel issued a statement rubbishing the story [snigger]. So, what's happened to the clapped out Motor Museum since? Well, I myself have put up a couple of very worthwhile ideas, namely converting it into a Van Gogh Contemporary, or using it as a Centre of Excellence for Wind.
But now I've received an email from a Sarah Benfield, who says she put a detailed business proposal before the council last month. Her idea is to restore the place to its former glory and put it to work as a Victorian themed health spa. A splendidly imaginative idea, Sarah! Trouble is, other thoughts appear to be foremost in the minds of the powers-that-be. Sarah says: 'We've heard nothing and are being ignored.'
Rumour is that the council would prefer the usual solution, luxury apartments. An easy fix, given the building isn't listed and probably won't be. Another rumour involves one of our local hostelry magnates converting it into a fish restaurant. Let's hope he's got an effing good chef on board, otherwise it'll be less Gordon Ramsgate and more like Gordon Bennett!
To follow the sorry recent history of this fine building, just click on the tag below.
10 comments:
I wonder if the prospective owner hostelry magnate comes complete with an in house building firm ECR ? Speaking hypothetically of course.
In the general but cynical case the ideal investor a council should seek is a money launderer. The sort of person who miraculously does 300,000 pounds worth of refurbishment work for the well managed cost of just 100,000 ? Then finds that the property value, after refurb, has risen by 400,000 ...
Of course if such an operator exists then a local council would be ill advised, from a prospective evidential standpoint, to afford same a monopoly like position ? (And in those circs locals should not be surprised to find the area suddenly open to similar in house building firm multiple outlet businesses ?)
But there again any investment is good investment eh ?
The Granville used to be a health spa so why not? Sounds like a good idea to me
It might not be hard to get it listed (if it's worthy). Maybe pop an email to english heritage and ask them to assess it for spot listing....
Apparently EH aren't interested, although I don't have that first hand.
If they get a whiff of English heritage involvement you can wave goodbye to your idea quicker than you can say "exciting seafront redevelopment"... or am i thinking of Margate?
I actually feel sorry for Global Generation Church - they are a good crowd already doing excellent work with the young people on this island and were willing to work hard to do the place up - so what is TDC's problem?
Presumably if they changed their name to the Global Regeneration Church they would fare a lot better.
Is this Global Generation Church aka the closely aligned to TDC youth organisation Pipeline? Haven't heard them complain since the pre election publicity shot!
Aren't they the same group who also aquired a mobile skateboard park designated specifically for Eastcliff, that disappeared throughout the summer - occasionaly being spotted at public events - but not in Eastcliff!! It had been intended to go on the seafront, with its encumbent youth worker, as a replacement for the suggested permanent one. Perhaps it will appear for the winter when no-one else wants it!
I live in east Ramsgate and these mobile skate parks can more often than not be seen parked in the back streets around Dumpton Park Road taking up precious car parking spaces and doing very little to entertain the bored board teeneagers. Yet another waste of money we've already got one of the country's best skate parks - Revolutions in Broadstairs. If we also needed mobile skate parks why on earth weren't Revolutions comissioned to administer them, set them up, hold classes etc etc??? I'm sure they would have made much better use of them.
Thanks anonymous. Thanet Council wanted to build a skateboard park on the seafront to stop skateboarders using the benches and diving in and out of people.
Residents had concerns for the kids safety as it was planned for the old swimming pool site. They felt would be too isolated and unsafe, particularly at night. TDC then came up with the idea of this mobile park which was meant to be down there all summer with a youth worker. It was only meant to move elsewhere if there was no need of it on the Eastcliff. Even then it wasn't meant to leave Rasmgate!
Good point about Revolutions but you would have to ask TDC that one!
Pipeline (Global Regeneration Church!) are the group who TDC are using for all (any!) youth provision in Thanet.
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