A ten-year ‘Town Investment Plan’ for Margate has been submitted to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Plan identifies £29million of investments to transform the town and attract future investment. Included in those plans are improvements for Theatre Royal and associated Hawley Square property and improvements for Walpole Bay tidal pool, Oval Bandstand, Newgate Gap and skatepark and playground areas.
Money is also earmarked for refurbishing the Dreamland Cinema and Sunshine Cafe complex, supporting the People Dem Collective bid to create a cultural centre at the former Primark building and overhauling Margate Winter Gardens.
The successful projects link across four themes:
A £9m investment in Margate’s Creative Production and Skills
This involves establishing a Creative Land Trust to support projects stretching from the high street to the Theatre Royal, for creative production and education. The investment aims to support and safeguard the creative sector and focus on innovation and job growth. Investment will create a new linked route through the town centre from the coast to the historic Hawley Square.
This potentially includes the former M&S, Primark buildings and the Theatre Royal, which will be transformed to create new jobs and education opportunities.
Establish and Capitalise Creative Land Trust – £3.1m
Refurbishment of buildings for workspace and education – £2.9m
Improve Theatre Royal and Hawley Square – £2m
Development of new forms of outreach, engagement, and education – £500,000
Business Equity fund for growth enterprises – £500,000
A £6.5m investment in Coastal Wellbeing
This focuses on supporting a series of capital investments for wellbeing across the whole Margate coastline and creating new experiences for visitors. It builds on its ‘heyday’ as a popular centre for wellbeing and tourism. Creating better links between the town centre, Northdown Road and the coastline and an improved network of connections between assets beyond the ‘tourist trail’ are planned.
Improved facilities and access to the coastline at the Walpole tidal pool area and surrounds – £1.8m
Improved coastal environment including upper promenade, Newgate Gap, Oval Bandstand and lawns, skatepark and
playground area – £3.7m
Testing new uses, participation and skills programme – £1m
A £4.5m investment in Public Realm and Connections
Investment in better connections and routes through the town centre to capitalise on heritage assets. Improving public realm and connections to encourage active travel and links throughout the town. A particular focus is to better connect Northdown Road to the town centre and with the coastline with attractive public realm, cycling and walking infrastructure.
Town centre improvements to include improved public realm on the High Street and better links to Queen Street
junction, Cecil Square, Bilton Square, open up Andrews Passage, Town Centre toilets and feasibility study for Marine
Drive – £2.9m
Improved active travel options and connections along Northdown Road to the Town Centre and from Northdown
Road to the coastline – £1.6m
A £9m investment in Supporting and Diversifying Heritage Assets
This is about developing high impact and surprising activities around the Dreamland Cinema Complex and the Winter Gardens to support footfall and income.
Redevelop the Dreamland Cinema to include building refurbishment and asbestos removal, Sunshine Cafe
and ground floor seafront fit out, support curation of cultural centre by People Dem Collective, support planning
and design work – £4m
Refurbish Winter Gardens to improve environmental performance through heating refurbishments, support
inclusive access through improved and accessible facilities and support a greater diversity of uses through repair
and decoration – £4m
Undertake feasibility studies for longer-term options – £1m
The Town Deal
Margate was one of 101 places given the opportunity last year to bid for funding of up to £25 million as part of the government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund. The fund aims to support urban regeneration, skills development and improved connectivity by giving each place its own Town Deal.
The money is not guaranteed and the first stage of the Town Deal is to have a Town Investment Plan
The plan was created after asking people living, working and visiting Margate about their vision and priorities for the town. An online survey was launched with 682 respondents, 233 people took part in engagement events, more than 30,000 people were reached on social media and there were over 2,000 website views.
A People’s Panel was also established with a representative group of 50 people living in Margate work alongside the Board for the lifetime of the project.
A project call out; detailed data and information about the town, its community and visitor has been used for the Town Investment Plan setting out Margate’s ambitions, opportunities and challenges.
The £29m application to the Towns Fund includes aims to address the social and economic challenges that the town has faced, to ‘level up’ the economy and to create jobs.
All of the projects included in the Plan came from an open call to the community for proposals that met the Government’s criteria and would deliver the maximum positive impact for the town’s economic future. The proposals were considered and then reviewed by the People’s Panel.
Graham Razey, Chair of the Margate Town Deal Board, which comprises representatives from public, private and voluntary organisations and was created to bring the funding bid together, said: “There’s real optimism for Margate’s future. We believe we have an exceptional and compelling case for investment and that’s why we’re targeting £29m.
“I am delighted that so many people and businesses have got involved to help shape our bid and create a Margate that works for everyone. It has been a privilege to listen to the community’s views and ideas on ‘coming together to help Margate thrive 365’.
“With all of these views in mind, we are asking the Government to support a range of targeted investments across four project areas. It is clear that people see the benefits of scaling creative production and skills; coastal wellbeing; improving the public realm and our heritage assets.”
What happens next?
It is expected the Government will take several months to respond. If Heads of Terms are agreed, the Board will have up to 12 months to complete comprehensive business cases for selected projects.
During this project development phase, the Board will continue to work closely with local partners, stakeholders and the People’s Panel, as well as key national organisations and funding partners such as Historic England, Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet member for Estates and Economic Development at Thanet District Council, said: “The people of Margate have come forward with their time, ideas and enthusiasm. Their ideas, which have been incorporated into the Town Investment Plan, have given the process a tremendous boost.
“This is a once-in-a generation opportunity for the town and Margate deserves to be successful with its submission. This Plan has the potential to put us on the map, both nationally and internationally, at the same time as improving the quality of life for those who live here.”
View the Margate Town Investment Plan and explainer video here
What couldn’t we do with £25M in Ramsgate?
We congratulate Margate for being selected for the first round of funding and wish them every success with their bids. After all, many Margate businesses are owned by people that choose to live in Ramsgate as do much of their workforce. Margate’s success potentially helps us all.
Although Ramsgate scored well in the criteria for the first round of selection devised by DHLG officials, it missed out because ministers decided to only accept one bid from the South East region from high scoring towns. They then approved Hastings and Newhaven from the medium scoring group of towns for reasons unknown except to them.
Government officials say they offered Thanet Council the option of choosing to support a “cluster” bid including more than one of Thanet’s towns. Neither the then Leader, nor the current one has knowledge of this, so it obviously died with TDC officers.
However, the government has promised a second “competitive” round of bids, but without detail of when or what criteria will be used. The recent public spending statement included reference to a £3b rebuilding fund.
I am wondering if it would not serve us well in Ramsgate to be prepared if or when the call comes?
Margate’s bid appears to me, because nothing was prepared beforehand, has the appearance of a rather random collection of wishes, each requiring a lot of work to develop and meld into a coherent whole. I propose that we in Ramsgate engage with as broad a range of groups and individuals as possible aimed at improving the town.
Will there be any money for cleaning the streets?
Why are people dem collective being given funding to make a business in the prime spot? If they want to make a business surely they should fund it themselves? Local people have made it clear they have no interest in it
The Dem Urban Cookie Collective are hip & right on, the sort of thing virtue signalling councils, the arts & the government love throwing money at.
Agree. A fair compromise would be to give them a small start up grant, so that they can then independently set up in an affordable location. Doesn’t necessarily need to be the large Primark building!
They will surely need to work out how they can financially sustain themselves going forwards – this government grant is a one-off.
To be fair though, the investment plan does only say the money will help People Dem ‘pilot’ the cultural centre, and I don’t think it specifies the Primark building.
Coastal Wellbeing, Public Realm and Connections, coming together to help Margate thrive 365-how do they come up with these ludicrous titles & catchphrases?
Will there ever be any funding to sort out the revolting drains/sewage stench at Addington Road Delivery Office, the one that has been there for decades?
Margate, Margate, Margate. Always Margate. What about Ramsgate!!!!
I seem to recall that £1.8m of “funding” has already been spent “refurbishing” the former Sunshine cafe about 3 or 4 years ago – and it has sat empty ever since.
Unless these projects have some degree of sustainability or profitability then it is merely pouring public money down the drain.
This should not be on the list for funding as there is a director on the Margate Town Deal board who kept that secret. They want to use funding money to do it up before selling it on for higher profit. This is a scandal and the Government needs to step in and put a stop to this dodgy deal.
Very little transparency or consultation with the public on any of this. Logically the People Dem Collective could have a smaller grant in a smaller, cheaper venue and give resources to a much wider demographic across Thanet. Levelling up – but for the few not for the many.
May as well piss the 29m up the wall with Graham ‘couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery’ ‘ive destroyed Thanets education system lets destroy the whole Isle’ Razey on the board.
Dreamland director on the board and suprise suprise Dreamland are down to gain at least 4 million pounds for their cinema and sunshine cafe. This must be fraudulent!!
Guess the government has forgotten about the fiasco of the ‘Portas Pilot’ scheme in Margate along with the infighting of the Margate Town Team?
The Peoples Dem Collective has the potential to play a vital role in breaking down pre-conceived opinions of minority groups, broadening understanding. As such, it could be a valuable resource for schools locally and throughout the South-East.
Black, brown, Roma and Traveller communities all have value and have been marginalised for too long. If successful, Peoples Dem Collective could redress the balance. Support for neuro-diverse members of our community is also very much needed. I wish this creative initiative success!