Last month I brought you the news that tiny Terence Painter, the Ile's dapper, diminutive developer and estate agent, had closed his office opposite the Royal Harbour. TP, if you recall, is the lead agent for selling the seven, 12 star hotels and 9 million luxury apartments at the planned Pleasurama Development (aka Royal Sands aka Titanic aka Elsbels Palace Hotel).Word has now reached the old Eastcliff lugholes that the bankers for the developer, SFP Ventures (UK) Ltd., have withdrawn their funding for the project, no doubt because their credit has been well and truly crunched. If confirmed, this would be a serious blow to the future of Ramsgate's seafront, which has already suffered a decade of eyesore blight, following the mysterious fire that destroyed Pleasurama in the late 90s. Should the development not be in position to go forward, may I humbly suggest that our friends on Uranus somehow wrest the site back from SFP and flipping well do something useful with it? Heritage theme park, anyone?
17 comments:
In a way I think this is a very good thing, but obviously only if we can do something else with the site.
I wasn't keen on flats there and hope that someone comes in with a super duper plan to do something great with it.
I am not confident.
Heritage theme park, despite someone moaning on here recently an excuse to fill a site with a load of old crap.
I believe all along that the site that has had an amusement park for decades (since 1926-1997) should still have the use for the tourists, local people!
The style of architecture 'international cunard style' that is planned for the royal sands is great, but if only we had our Merrie england building back ;with the landmark clock and the fun and sounds of our seaside resort back again!
The planned development will not benefit the local community, it is too big as well.
Visit my Pleasurama website for great pic's of the Pleasurama building I BELIEVE SOOOO STRONGLY THAT ALL WE NEED IS A MODERN VERSION OF THE OLD! (with the same function!
The east cliff area was so beautiful, with its marina pool! Nero's more and more fun! Look at it now what a dive! well you can't dive because there's a car park there! but what I am trying to say in and around 1999 there were plans to place a sea-life centre there! etc
I attended the meeting at albion house (before the cliff work started) and I happened to say ) what about an amusement park) + i hinted upon the history of the site) and they replied" about the economics)
Oh...yeah its not like they have anyone for the hotel! and once they have found buyers for the flats (of course benefiting myself and everyone in thanet lol!!!) it will continue to create money will it? the answers no-definitely no!) and no fun either)
Visit:-
http://ramsgate-pleasurama.weebly.com
If what would be a stunning and unique building cannot get out of the ground during 10 years of economic growth, it has zero chance over the next few years unfortunately.
A larger developer might have gotten something built. I have no idea why they were not offered/did not bid for the site.
Nobody ever accused me of consistency, 5.11pm! Besides, if there's a heritage tut park going spare what better location than here in the island's premier town? It would only be wasted on those northsiders. And anything would be preferable to another ten years of cock-all on the Pleasurama site.
Look stick a Dalby Cafe just up the road and call the site the heritage bomb site.
Worked for Cliftonville for years.
You mean 'erritij' surely?
Let's build a museum to remember the poor burnt buildings of Ramsgate and Thanet!
We could call it the God-urner Centre ( double pun, not intended but rather good I might add! ) and remember all those sad insurance jobs from around the island.
No, on second thoughts, some silly sod will only torch it and call it art!!
I agree with ECR re: 5:11pm's comments. A children's tut site (Walley World) has recently been set up in Arsonists Playground on the former Dreamland site and that has dubious openening days / hours as recently reported. (Possibly due to lack of interest once visitors establish that the Scenic Railway has burnt to a crisp & that was the only attraction).
Due to the high level of DFL's (with plenty of dosh to spend) who visit our Marvellous Historic Marina and look for a 5 bedroomed seafront property for sale for £125,000 (they've watched Homes Under the Hammer recently) I would be fairly confident that in the summer months a tut site of any description in Millionaire's Playground would generate a great income for anyone prepared to take a risk.
Either that or could someone buy the site and build 3,000 townhouses with tandem boat moorings 15 foot above sea level so when the sea front floods they can make a mint out of rescuing all the patrons of the sea front bars?
The possibilities are endless.....
I'm a bit disappointed that, if what you say is true, we won't have that development realised. Despite the roof issues I really liked the design and thought it would bring some much needed life back into that area.
Hopefully even if the development doesn't go ahead now that the crumbling face of the cliff has been fixed they can at least put some decent paving stone down and use it as a public space rather than fencing the thing off to rot.
It would be a really good place for a railway station.
Yes open the tunnel railway again! I learnt as an architecture student that in Berlin, because so badly bombed, there is a vast amount of waste land!
So what do they do?-They use it for temporary leisure or recreation! and if successful-it would become permanent!
Just the site for a prison! fill it up with the arsonists. Or a giant fish farm.You could fly the fish out. These will create lots of jobs.
Seriously, as a visitor to Ramsgate I think Hotels are needed in the area. You dont have many near the harbour. I think there are only 3.
The problem that is fundamental to this design is that the environment agency has made strong recommendations for a flood risk assessment and emergency escapes onto the cliff top.
If it were to be built without the issues raised by the environment agency being resolved, then the building would be blighted and uninsurable, not good for Ramsgate or the developer.
I have written to the councils chief executive asking if we can have a temporary leisure use for the site again this year.
Yeah i took my kids to Ramsgate last week and couldnt believe the work had started - painting the cliff and that the proposed devpt was going to be so close to the beach - should have been designated for a leisure use? The Film about Thanet - made by Christine Tongue and co highlights that. Wonder what will happen?
Wonder what they will do with the Lido site in Margate too - that was meant to have flats i believe too? Bloody empty flats everywhere?
Where's our swimming pool?
Why did they ever destroy our Marina pool?
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