Temporary planters to replace unsightly barriers on Ramsgate seafront

Planters will replace the barriers

Some temporary highway measures put in place in Ramsgate and Margate in July by Thanet council will be extended – with unsightly red and white barriers on Harbour Parade being replaced with planters.

The schemes at Ramsgate seafront and Margate Old Town were installed to help with social distancing as pubs and restaurants reopened. They included temporary changes to traffic management and pedestrian access to the streets around Margate Old Town, Marine Drive, Margate and Harbour Parade, Ramsgate.

The changes have now been reviewed and Thanet council says it will:

Extend the suspension of the parking bays along Harbour parade, Ramsgate.

Install planters along Harbour Parade in place of the red and white barriers – this will be carried out and maintained by Ramsgate Town Council

Reinstate six parking spaces along Lombard Street, in Margate Old Town, opposite Market Place from today ( October 7).

The other spaces will remain suspended for the time being, however this will be kept under constant review.

You can have your say on these changes and make suggestions via email: [email protected]

County council temporary road schemes installed in Westgate and Broadstairs were scrapped this month follwing a deluge of complaints.

‘Bus gate’ scheme in Broadstairs to be scrapped

Westgate one-way system to be removed after huge ‘community push’

14 Comments

  1. Will these be the same planters removed from that ill thought out fiasco in Westgate?
    What a carry on, poor for business, crappy to look at.

    • No, they are specially made for the job, at cost, to the specifications laid down by TDC and KCC. The Westgate and Broadstairs planters were extremely expensive items and have been spirited away by KCC. I know, because I asked if RTC could have them, the day they were removed.
      They will planted with autumn bedding plants and will have a reflective strip around them, so they can be seen in poor light.

    • Possibly lots of people; in parts of Scotland it’s now only legal to serve alcohol outdoors.

    • The Ramsgate pavement cafe culture has been gathering pace for some years. And indeed you’ll find hardy souls sitting outside many of our hospitality establishments the year round.
      And, by the way, the road isn’t closed. There is still access.

      • Ramsgate is also of course south-facing. Far better to sit out there in Winter than on Margate seafront!

  2. And the real benefit will surely be that, after years of fruitless lobbying, the people IN the cafes and bars will actually be able to see the Royal Harbour – instead of the side of a van. It’s the only thing I have to thank Covid for. Please make the ban on parking in Harbour Parade permanent.

    • I agree completely, lets hope these changes to parking along Harbour Parade are made permanent. There is plenty of alternative car and van parking available close by. We should make the most of the harbour views which can only encourage more visitors.

  3. No one will be sitting out al fresco if Manston reopens, when dirty old cargo planes will fly in over the Harbour at less than 300 meters, high, and at least two an hour!

  4. At least we have three years to go before the opening of Manston as a cargo hub is planned and in the current economic and environmental climate it will probably never happen. Its a shame though that further investment in Ramsgate will be depressed until the threat of a cargo hub has gone away for good.

  5. Tony, you are so right. I once treated myself to a coffee at Little Ships one crisp, sunny winter’s morning. Sat outside enjoying the view for all of 2 minutes before a van parked right in front of me. I asked if they could move foward a few metres so I could still see the harbour but they just shrugged and walked off. Bah! Drank up and moved on. One thing that bothers me though is that they’ve put the pedestrian barriers on the wrong side of the road. The narrow footpath on the opposite side by the railings is the one that’s impossible to social distance on without stepping into the road 🤦 Surely the can block off the parking spaces somehow whilst still putting the pedestrian barriers on the other side to allow wheelchair users, buggies, pedestrians etc to all get along happily when walking from the pedestrian crossing to the beach. I don’t think the planners have walked around the area on foot to get a sense of how people use those footpaths and how crowded they get.

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