It is a sight many residents in Ramsgate thought they would never see but work is underway at the former Pleasurama site on the seafront which has lain derelict for some 22 years.
The plot has been empty since a fire in 1998 but following an advertisement on landowner Blueberry Homes’ website there appears to be progress on the development which is due to be a hotel, 100 one, two and three-bed apartments, new beachfront shops, leisure, retail outlets and a hotel and gym.
Last year significant control of the Ramsgate Development Company – which owns the freehold of the site- was taken over by Thanet businessman Martin Rigden.
According to Companies House Mr Rigden, a director of Blueberry Developments, took control on March 19, 2019.
Blueberry Homes is responsible for high-end developments such as luxury apartments Ravello Broadstairs and Barletta Broadstairs.
A £3.4million charge on the site was paid in January this year – meaning the title to the land comes under the sole control of Mr Rigden. The two now-cleared debts were owed to Panama-based firm Mintal Group.
Back in 2017 Thanet council said the Royal Sands scheme would employ up to 200 people while under development. Once completed, it is expected to provide long-term jobs in hospitality and retail as well as servicing the residential areas.
The Blueberry Homes website says ‘prices and launch date’ are ‘coming soon.’
The company is also carrying out the development of 70 homes, alongside a relocated Aldi store, at the former gasworks site in Boundary Road and 48 new apartments on the former Transco site in Dane Road, Margate.
The long saga of the Pleasurama site
The former funfair site was destroyed by fire in May 1998, two years after then-owner Jimmy Godden took it over.
Originally planning permission was given to Mr Godden, now deceased, for a shopping centre on the land but, in 2001, when it became clear this was not going to materialise Thanet council bought the site by compulsory purchase.
In 2004 planning permission was granted for a 60-bed hotel, 107 residential apartments, leisure facilities and retail.
The deal was headed by development company SFP Venture UK but work never got underway.
In April 2013, Thanet council rejected a bid for SFP to buy the freehold of the site before project completion.
FP said it was unable to secure the necessary funds to complete the scheme under the existing development agreement.
In February 2014 cabinet members agreed to axe the development agreement with SFP, but were unable to reclaim the three 199-year leases for the site because they had no long stop date in the deal.
Talks with Cardy Construction to take over the project by buying out SFP were revealed in September 2014. Cardy Ramsgate Limited purchased 100% shares of SFP Ventures.
Contracts, which TDC say included a long-stop date, were signed with Cardy Ramsgate Ltd – an independent company created for the scheme – in March 2015. Cardy Construction went into administration the same month.
Cardy Ramsgate Ltd completed a £3.515 million payment to Thanet council for the site freehold in July 2016.
Michael Stannard, then the sole director of Cardy Ramsgate Ltd, resigned his role on August 15, 2016.
The firm was renamed Ramsgate Development Company Ltd and the registered address changed from Essex to Cliff Street in Ramsgate,.
Documents on Companies House revealed two people with ‘significant control’ of the Ramsgate Development Company as Colin and Robbie Hill. They are involved with the Panama-based Mintal Group, which had the £3million charge on the seafront site.
Robbie Hill resigned the role in 2016. Colin Hill resigned on March 19 last year.
The last contract with Thanet council stated the project must be completed within three-and-a-half years, which would have implied a date of January 2020 if taken from contract completion.
A temporary funfair made an appearance at the site in 2018 and the same year a Pleasurama ‘piling’ took part in the Ramsgate carnival!
The Blueberry Homes website says ‘prices and launch date’ are ‘coming soon.’
The company is also carrying out the development of 70 homes, alongside a relocated Aldi store, at the former gasworks site in Boundary Road and 48 new apartments on the former Transco site in Dane Road, Margate.
