Thanet council has announced Westwood One Theatre – the owners of The Granville Theatre in Ramsgate- as the preferred partner to take on Margate Winter Gardens.
Westwood One Ltd, which also operates Under 1 Roof Thanet in Pysons Road, bought The Granville in October 2022 and opened the venue in May 2023.
The company, run by Ramsgate sisters Zahra and Parisa Tarjomani and Pyramid Martial Arts & Just Kids Parties owner Matt Milchard, will now take on Margate Winter Gardens if the proposal is approved.
Cabinet members will be asked to consider the proposal, which is subject to further detailed work on design, construction costs and business planning, at a meeting on Thursday 20 March.
Thanet council says the purpose is to secure the long-term future of the Winter Gardens, as a multi-use leisure and entertainment venue.
Margate’s Grade II listed Winter Gardens has been shut since August 2022, when Your Leisure – the company which managed it – handed its lease back to the council.
Last December Thanet council said it was “in detailed external discussions” over the future of Margate Winter Gardens.
The talks came on the heels of a marketing exercise to identify an operator for the venue.
Westwood One Theatre, has put forward a vision for the Winter Gardens which aims to create a sustainable and profitable multi-use space. Primarily it would operate as a theatre and live music venue, with scope to accommodate conference, corporate events and weddings. These activities would be bolstered by a rooftop bar with panoramic sea views.
The building would also house a drama school, vocational learning centre and registered day nursery.
The report to Cabinet recommends that the council affirms a commitment to work with Westwood One Theatre to progress the project to the next stage.
The report proposes that TDC allocate up to £80,000 to Westwood One Theatre to support the cost of more detailed work on design, construction costs and business planning. Funding will be drawn from the Winter Gardens’ original £300,000 which was allocated to the project from the Margate Town Deal.
The Town Deal funding was later boosted by another £4m allocation which had been earmarked for the Dreamland Cinema until owners LN-Gaiety said they did not want the funds.
A number of next steps have been identified to proceed with the project which are designed to reduce the level of risk to both the council and Westwood One Theatre, before a completed lease agreement is entered into.
These include developing architectural plans to RIBA Stage 2 (where architectural concepts are aligned with the project brief and budget requirements), a detailed business plan, pre-application planning advice and agreements in principle for funding.
Following completion of this work and due diligence checks, Thanet council will consider providing a 999 year lease and the linked £4m grant towards the cost of the refurbishment.
Thanet District Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property, Cllr Ruth Duckworth, said: “This is a positive step towards our ambition to bring the Winter Gardens back into leisure and entertainment use. The proposal being put forward to Cabinet for consideration is both practical and ambitious, reflecting the building’s heritage as a theatre and performance venue, whilst identifying sustainable year-round revenue opportunities.
“We have always understood that local people are passionate about the role of the Winter Gardens as a cultural landmark in Margate and the wider district. Whilst this process has not been a rapid one, we’re committed to ensuring that we have the right partner, with the right vision and I’m pleased that Cabinet is now being asked to consider this matter.”
A spokesperson for Westwood One Theatre added: “To be identified as Thanet District Council’s proposed preferred partner is a significant milestone in the journey towards reopening the Margate Winter Gardens.
“This has the potential to be a very exciting new chapter for the Winter Gardens and for Margate. The vision we have for the venue’s transformation into a 365-day space will not only enhance the cultural landscape of the town but also drive economic growth and create new job opportunities.
“As an organisation, we’re thrilled that discussions are moving forward to the approval stage. As a local company that produced performances at the Margate Winter Gardens for many years, we have both an understanding of the heritage aspects of the venue and a love and passion for the building itself. We put our proposal forward because we want to ensure that it remains an integral part of Thanet’s entertainment scene.”
The Cabinet report, further information and updates on the Winter Gardens project can be found on the council’s website.
They have done a great job in Ramsgate so I don’t see why they can’t do the same in Margate !
This is an utterly terrible decision. They haven’t even a business plan or design or costed construction costs… this is an awful decision and show complete desperation from the council.
Even locals in Ramsgate didn’t think the Granville was viable as a theatre (remember the ludicrous “Sandcastle” arts centre proposal?), yet they’ve done it. I can’t think of a better choice. Maybe you can?
Last resort, how do you know they don’t have a business plan?
1) how do you know their isn’t a business plan?
2) Everyone said the Granville would be a failure. They’re going from strength to strength and booking some amazingly high profile comedians, for one example.
3) If you make claims, the burden of proof lies upon you to satisfy the veracity of the claims. So, will you?
A great choice! We went to The Granville Theatre to see Jack Dee on Saturday, and it was as organised and professional as The Winter Gardens used to be.
This is brilliant news! Best of luck to them.
Very surprised at this decision as I had insider info that Live Nation were likely to take it over which would have made sense as they have already invested in Dreamland and have plenty of money to upgrade WG .
The positive is that something now might happen with WG and the owners of the Granville have been very professional and done a good job there .
Live Nation are the LAST people you want taking over a venue. They’re not an entertainment company these days. They’re a wealth extraction operation. LN/Ticketmaster are the reason gigs are so EYE WATERINGLY expensive these days.
And now for the Theatre Royal,we can always hope for a beautiful theatre to be made for again
Typo should be good not for
Excellent news, they have done such a great job of getting the Granville up and running, that I wish them all the best. The Winter Gardens has been missed and deserves to be bought back to life.
Excellent news. I don’t suppose they also want to take over a ferry terminal, Theatre Royal or any other assets that Thanet Council have left to rot over the years ?
These Iranian people have always had their act together, unlike us. Best of luck to them, I say.
ermmmm what does their nationality have to do with the fact its a successful business? What a weirdly bigoted angle to take.
What is their input going to be in financial terms? They’re not putting anything in for the plans etc, that’s 80k given to them , they’ll be getting the 4 million and why on earth is a 999 year lease being given , that’s effectively a freehold ( sometimes referred to as a virtual freehold). Seems rather to be a way of transferring an asset for next to nothing but being able to say TDC still own it.
Being as it’ll be a lease on what terms is that lease to be granted, seems a very odd way of going about things.
It also puts them in pretty much direct competition with Theatre Royal ( should that ever get off the ground), does rather seem to be a bit of a desperation move of convenience.
Is there any information on other expressions of interest that were rejected?
“It also puts them in pretty much direct competition with Theatre Royal”
You mean the two venues, that when previously operational, ran a vastly different programme of shows, and thus differing audiences?
Great, however I hope that a lift will be available somewhere from the top of the stairs????
There’s no need. Cars can go around the back, where there’s just a short slope up to the main hall.
disabled access to the rear with on promenade parking right up against the building. Takes you right into the heart of the building.
Fantastic news! Couldn’t be happier. We never thought it would be saved, and to get this news is just marvellous. Fingers and everything else crossed!
Very positive! It’s been fantastic to have the Granville back and seemingly doing well, if they can do the same for the Winter Gardens that would be amazing.
Get the beer festival back a.s.a.p.
I’m not much of a drinker, but I used to love working there when that was on! Great atmosphere, with very little trouble.
Nothing from ‘Real World’ to bring the sense of optimism down?
And as usual, the Nokes/Rees/Phillis/Andrew crowd are nowhere to be seen when there’s good news.
So are they getting the £80,000 as part of a deal along with the Margate Town Deal money that Dreamland turned down as a sweetener? How much is the lease going to be?
Who are the other contenders that have put in an interest? 999 year lease is too long though. TDC usually do a 20 year at a time lease. Desperation does spring to mind since they know the Town Deal funding must be spent very soon or it will be withdrawn.
These people chosen have been in the Isle of Thanet News previously, but in a bad light, so what has changed to make them TDC’s preferred choice? Is there nobody else in fact that will take this massive risk on? TDC hasn’t a good track record of choosing the right people for our assets in the past !! Maybe they should be transparent and allow the public to have some choice on who should take it on.
What “bad light”?
Why ? a 999 year lease ,should be max 10-20 years .Just like Margate Council did with Arlington House in the 60s,that I am sure was 999 year lease,tried to renegotiate years later,and got told where to go
“These people chosen have been in the Isle of Thanet News previously, but in a bad light, so what has changed to make them TDC’s preferred choice?”
Burden of proof time. Post your sources.
“Maybe they should be transparent and allow the public to have some choice on who should take it on.”
Like you were transparent with your post I’m responding to? What exactly makes you feel entitled to that, given you pay your council tax to delegate these choices to others to begin with?
Fantastic news! Since moving to Ramsgate 9 months ago we have seen at least a dozen acts at the Granville all of which have been 1st class.
I think the decision to ask the Granville management to take on the Winter Gardens in Margate is inspired and with the right level of support from TDC I see no reason why it should not be a huge success and a much needed boost to the local economy.