You're trying to reassign the leasehold to a listed building. The whole sorry saga has been mired in claims and counter-claims, to the point where you've even been accused of seriously misleading your electorate, the people who vote you in and pay your wages and expenses.
What you really want is a great, big pub company to take the whole thing off your hands. But now so many questions have been raised that you're going to have to at least pay lip service to public opinion and be seen to be doing the right thing.
Perhaps you need some independent advice to get yourself out of the mire? Call in some unbiased experts so that you could demonstrate there was no conflict of interest once the lease has been handed over to the pubco? Good thinking!
Now, who do you hire? Yes, that's right, the same people who do the accounts for the great, big pub company.
No, dear reader, I haven't made it up. You couldn't.
Update February 2014: Since this item was published, TDC have given Deloittes the boot. Another victory for me! Hurrah!
25 comments:
Before anything gets disposed of, Pav', car park, Pleasurama site, the whole seafront needs consideration to see what can be made of it in joined up thinking. Rather than a hotch potch of random venues now is a good time to get a winning, properly thought through, professional (but with common sense)solution. No vested interests, nothing dodgy, a plan really right for Ramsgate.
Licensing Guidelines Cambridge Council
You seem to have lapsed into your skill at investigative journalism again.
The licensing authority is TDC.
Johnny Holyer
I have launched my gag writing post diplomatic service career.
here's one ?
"Did you hear about a multiple stabbing at the seafront pub ?"
"What Witherspoons ?"
"No with er knives"
Geddit ?
ECR, you really do need to get up to speed on this one. The simple fact of the matter is that the lease will be re-assigned by The Rank Organisation, despite what you have been mis-led to believe by some locals.
The Rank Organisation refuse to deal with anyone who has less wonga than they have and as they are in the "card n chips" business, a suitable sheik with buckets of Mazola may be difficult to conjure up, even for a tricky dicky, ferry funding, offshore owning, refuse recycling, fumbling on the fence local loony bin (Oops authority).
Well said 1:01 unfortunately we have corrupt idiots running things. At best we may end up paying for them to hire consultants like Deloitte (as with Manston or EKO or Chinagate or Turner or Dreamland) to say what they want. Same result - we've just paid twice though.
Unfortunately Holyer and Epps have proved themselves laughable for their opinions yet they do distract from issues such as this or what McGonigal etc have been doing while we are paying them. Certainly the politicians are not holding her to account.
A Police investigation and a clearout are required: the rot is too deep for too long.
This is an appalling conflict of interest which should not be tolerated. I fully agree with Anon that pleasurama, the pav and the car park should be considered as whole. Salami slicing the seafront spells disaster
The problem at TDC is that nobody left has any relevant experience. They think that they can cover themselves by getting consultants in. But consultants only do what you asked them to do and, if you don't know what you are doing, that's always going to be a problem.
the only way outta this godawful mess we are in, is to organise a connected front, nothing should be sold on as yet, tdc could earn out of some things if they were to be preparred to run the towns alongside business. the thing is they seem to have a habit of using the proposed developers legals, which is biased surely! sfp lawyers did similar, and look at that mess we have!
The Royal Sands legal agreement was drafted by Eversheds who were a TDC appointment.....had the agreement been drafted by SFP lawyers, then I suspect the development would have been funded and completed long ago
Methinks you have forgotten the fact that Rank offered to hand the lease back to TDC for nothing years ago, Mr Readit.
Good point ECR.
There are two separate TDC jurisdictions here.
Ownership
Operation
These cannot be fixed up as a single package. A nod and wink that a licence will be in due course issued for a pub operation.
That is why I put the Cambridge City Council linkie on above because I think it is a pretty good description of the process and the rights of people to object.
I don't know about whether it was Eversheds who drew up the Pleasurama development agreements. The fact remains that the developer entered into the agreement.
Supposing luxury dwellings were now built, some sold and some being purveyed by Terry Painter. I take it TDC thinks they would be overjoyed at the prospect of a Witherspoons between them and the sea.
What does Kent Police have to say ? Haven't they previously told licensing sessions that they haven't got the manpower to deal with possible disorder from adding to the number of licensed premises.
Haven't they admitted they could not police Thanet at night without door stewards ?
The licensing issue is by no means assured. It cannot be. So are Witherspoons willing to take the investment risk ?
What's this "Walpole Bay Incident" that someone mentioned on Slimey More's blog?
Would you be willing to take on a £3m black hole for free ECR? Perhaps we need another Anna Gloag.
Readit is a twit as he's also forgotten Rank are liable for the Listed repairs to the Pav(as indeed are TDC). Several million quid that both sides no doubt want to fudge and delay away for another month's paycheck and then the pension and payoff. If the site's derelict what do they care. The consultants will no doubt issue a no blame or lessons learned report for their fee.
its in the gazette anon
5:11pm - it's probably the 'incident' where UKIP Nige got biffed on the beezer as he was going into the Walpole Bay Hotel last week (allegedly). Or maybe TDC's decommissioning of Walpole Bay as a beach? Take your pick!
Oh, that all? I thought it was something to do with the alledged forthcoming announcement regarding an alledged incident by an alledged unpopular cllr... alledgedly!
It could be that, 7.22pm. Or there must be at least an outside chance that Simes's forthcoming big announcement is his selection as the Tory candidate for Sarf Fannit!
(1) HM Coroner Rebecca Cobb got reprimanded for falling seriously short of judicial standards. This was not the Walpole Bay incident.
(2) A politician, recovering from neck vertebrae surgery, was biffed over the head with a placard outside the Walpole Bay Hotel
This was the incident Simon Moores referred to.
(3) Simon had suffered a close shave with Occams razor. And was recommended to learn two lessons
(a) That what interests the public is not the same thing as the public interest
(b) That stating the date a licence for activity was withdrawn, does not mean the same thing as stating the activity ended. (Gun range)
(c) That UKIP policy is to re-introduce firearms certificates for pistol ownership.
The UKIP is led by a politician who recently had neck vertebrae surgery and got biffed on the bonce outside the Walpole Bay Hotel.
That is enough explanation for now. Hope it helped.
ECR you seem to have failed to spot that cunning UKIP is luring tories who were former pistol shooters even "practical pistol shooting competitors."
But rumours the Thanet UKIP Assn is holding its AGM in Arizona seem mischievous.
That's me banned again for a bit innit ? Don't forget to call in Sister Assumpta though mate as we really enjoy her input.
Westgate-on-Sea isn't in South Thanet, and it would be very hypercritical indeed for him to stand after the amount of stick he's given to Will and Jodie for living outside the areas they represent...
Talking of Will, I see he has joined the long list of Labour politicians who would deny other kids the chance of a grammar school education after having enjoyed such an advantage himself.
I also went to a grammar school, and wouldn't want others to repeat the experience!
If Moores stands for Thanet South then he'ss get a lot of stick from Epps, Holyer and Mallinson. Unless they're hypercrites too.
Hypercrites, now there is an interesting word. Is it some kind of creature in hyper space or a warp speed travelling cockroach?
See Tim is still trying to entice his old adversaries back so he can insult them again. Think you have burned your bridges there now Timmy boy.
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