Latest designs for a Green Campus scheme to create spaces for training, enterprise and light industry along Military Road, Ramsgate, have gone on show today (May 1).
The project is part of Ramsgate’s £19.8m Levelling Up programme granted by government in October 2021 with an allocation of just over £6m. Other projects allocated funding include a new town square at Pier Yard; fishing fleet facilities; community facilities at Newington and Ramsgate and improved port infrastructure.
The Green Campus aim is to make the most of Ramsgate’s maritime heritage, skills and location. It will include a mix of training facilities and workspaces, for both small and established businesses, with opportunities for expansion in the future.
Jan Kattein Architects were appointed for the design work and have now updated these ready for the planning application to be submitted this month.
The core of the Green Campus will be centred around a south-facing courtyard. At the north of the site, a 2-3 storey build will house training and seminar spaces and a communal canteen with a frontage on Military Road.
There will be a small arrival yard, two ‘terraces’ of workspace/warehousing, loading bays and parking,
The updated designs have been influenced by comments following a prior information notice to gauge interest.
Thanet council says there have been a “good amount” of interest from varying businesses across the south-east. Uses at the campus must be port and/or maritime related.
Architect Jan Kattein (pictured), who is at today’s drop in event, said: “More detail has been added during Riba stage three and we have fully integrated the technical design and the architectural design.
“We have high ambitions for the sustainability of the building which will be heated with heat pumps and will have solar panels on the roof. We are using reclaimed materials from parts of the port being decommissioned. It is forward thinking in that way.”
Materials will include reclaimed masonry, there will be a roof terrace on the café building and an area of greenery to improve how the site looks from the road.
“It is a flexible build in every way so we will not be ending up with a building that could be redundant. Space can move horizontally and vertically so businesses can grow or shrink. The yard is flexible so larger things can spill out there.
“There will be lettable space and the sea cadets will take some of that space, there will be training provision for use by the wind operators or any other training partners related to maritime activity.”
The development will be all electric with solar panels planned to generate as much sustainable electricity on site as possible, coupled with efficient air source heat pump and heat recovery technology.
The £6.1million project is on budget with the spend covering construction, design and management costs.
The latest plans show the Green Campus in the port space currently used for storing vehicles and caravans. The area behind Vattenfall is shown as having potential for further expansion as is the eastern terrace.
Works procurement should take place towards the end of the year with tenant recruitment in winter 2025 and completion by spring 2026.
The latest designs can be seen at Arch 6, Military Road, Ramsgate CT11 9LG on:
- Wednesday 1 May, 2pm to 7pm
- Thursday 2 May, 2pm to 5pm
- Friday 3 May, 9.30am to 12pm
There will be a number of boards on display showing the designs. The project architects and project management are there today (Wednesday 1 May) to answer questions. The council’s project team will attend all three sessions.
Following the event, the boards will remain on display at the Military Road venue and can be viewed during two further sessions, on Tuesday 7 May, 2pm – 4pm and Thursday 9 May, 9am – 11am.
They can also be seen online here
Some £3.5 million of the Levelling Up funding has been earmarked for improved port infrastructure.
However, a report to councillors earlier this year said port infrastructure work is likely to need £10m, far exceeding the £3.5 allocated for site clearance and remediation; improved breakwater and new berthing infrastructure.
The Port Infrastructure project includes the refurbishment of berths 2 and 3, and land based works needed to support ro-ro ferry operations, including facilities for UK Border Force.
Last year Thanet council approved an option for a multi-purpose hybrid model at the port offering a concession contract with a lease attached to it. Agreements with Brett Aggregates and wind farm operators would remain in place.
The option means the council retaining the management of part of the Port, such as non-ro-ro traffic, with ro-ro cargo and traffic managed by a third party.
Thanet council has been seeking expressions of interest from commercial port operators.
