The Ramsgate Vision and Regeneration Plan – a blueprint for the town, following an award of £20 million investment over the next 10 years – will ‘Clean up, Open up, Light up, Join up and Raise Up’ the area.
The plan, which has been submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) today, looks at the key areas that the Pride in Place funding could be used for.
Specific projects are not outlined in the document. These will be decided between now and next March through “task and finish” groups.
However, the plan does outline the main themes that have been decided on following consultation with residents, businesses and local organisations and states that the regeneration will be at places across Ramsgate rather than focused on just the town.
Town centre and economy (Open it up)
Reversing physical decay by using powers such High Street Rental Auctions- a new power for local councils in England, allowing them to auction the leases of persistently vacant commercial properties on high streets to bring them back into use – to fill persistently vacant units, create new flexible workspaces, and diversify the economy away from over-reliance on seasonal trade.
Civic Pride and Public Realm (Clean it up)
Delivering immediate, visible improvements by addressing the highest volume community demand: cleanliness and maintenance. This includes deep cleaning, prompt graffiti removal, and upgrading basic amenities, demonstrating that the town is visibly cared for.
Safety and Accessibility (Light it up)
Implementing an Integrated Safety Strategy to reduce recorded crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) rates. This includes investment in CCTV and lighting, alongside repairing/installing accessible infrastructure to ensure the public realm is inclusive for all residents.
Young People (Raise it up)
Addressing the critical lack of affordable provision for the 11+ age group, which is linked to boredom and ASB. This involves creating a network of dedicated Youth Hubs, multi-use games areas, and developing skills linkages to local career pathways and improving aspiration.
Health and Wellbeing (Join it up)
Moving beyond treating symptoms to tackle root causes of deprivation by establishing accessible community hubs. These hubs will provide integrated, non-institutional support for complex issues like mental health, addiction, and chronic social isolation.
The regeneration plan has been created by a dedicated Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, composed of community leaders, residents and businesses, following consultation with the public.
The current picture
Assessment of the town’s current situation how Ramsgate has experienced no net job growth in the decade leading up to 2021. Gross weekly pay in Thanet (£685.2) is substantially lower than the South East (£779.2) and Great Britain (£729.8) averages; the commercial vacancy rate in Ramsgate (11.7% in June 2025) is higher than the national average (10.4%). However, cultural engagement is strong, with arts (93.7%) and museums (46.1%) and “an opportunity exists to restore buildings and shop fronts to capitalise on its ‘community café culture’.”
Safety is a concern raised through consultation and dealing with antisocial behaviour was the number one factor for making Ramsgate a good place to live (490 mentions) and the top area needing improvement (613 mentions) in the resident survey.
Ramsgate’s recorded crime rate (134.3 per 1,000 population) is significantly higher than the national average (76.7). The ASB rate (21.1 per 1,000) is also higher than England’s average (14.8).
Central Harbour Ward accounts for 11% of all drug offences in Thanet. Critically, local substance misuse hospital admissions are highest for Ramsgate residents.
Young people reported a “profound fear” related to drug use and fights. The disabled community highlighted infrastructure failures as a barrier to independence.
Some of the areas that may be looked at are the high numbers of empty, boarded-up shops, an over-reliance on sectors such as hospitality, health and education, high business rates, expensive parking, and inadequate public support; poor connectivity which means visitors often stay on the seafront and do not move into the High Street.
The regeneration plan says interventions could include:
Asset Activation
Use High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) to bring persistently vacant properties back into use on streets like High Street, King Street, Queen Street, and Harbour Parade. Refurbish vacant buildings as cultural hubs, accessible workspaces, and creative/community hubs.
Financial and Business Support
Review business support opportunities for start-ups, provide tailored advice. Lobby and explore new arrangements for outdoor seating (café culture), business rates and rents in the town centre.
Town Centre Activity
Expand the local market and deliver visible aesthetic uplift (shopfronts, public art, greening/pocket parks).
Destination Anchors
Explore opportunities for a major non-retail anchor attraction – improving the reasons for people to visit the town centre.
Identify growing sectors
Help drive job creation build on growing sectors in Ramsgate, including offshore renewables and maritime. Build on the opportunities from the hospitality, food and beverage offer in Ramsgate.
Local audits
Engage with local communities and Ramsgate’s young people to complete an audit of their local areas to understand the issues. Aiding the people of Ramsgate to take pride in reducing changes of littering, flytipping and graffiti.
Targeted Maintenance
Complete a deep clean, encouraging building owners to clean their frontages. Publish information on reliable, regular street cleaning and waste management with fireproof bins and recycling points.
Aesthetic Uplift
Undertake prompt graffiti removal, enforce weed removal, and utilise professional vinyl artwork on empty shops to maintain visual standards. Support the implementation of existing Ramsgate brand guidelines across outlets.
Amenity Improvement
Refurbish and ensure accessibility of public toilets and upgrade green spaces/public realm with better seating and facilities.
Community Action
Support and co-design community clean-up initiatives to foster collective responsibility.
Physical Safety
Investment in improved lighting and CCTV and public realm in town centre and other relevant wards.
Mobility and Access
Develop an “Accessible Ramsgate” Infrastructure Plan co-designed with disabled and neurodivergent groups to assess funding options. Repair/install accessible infrastructure.
Active travel/Connections
Public realm improvements and cycling/walking improvements to connect key areas (Royal Parade, Harbour Street, station) to link the town and harbour.
Social Safety
Support 24-hour safe spaces and non-institutional support for addiction, homelessness and isolation and aligning with the problem-oriented policing model.
Support for vulnerable people
Working with key stakeholders and those considered vulnerable and creating ASB to identify solutions to change their lives.
Dedicated Youth Infrastructure Network
Establish a network of dedicated, affordable, and accessible Youth Hubs and community activity spaces in multiple locations, utilising empty buildings and investing in youth infrastructure within existing parks and open spaces.
Creative Provision
Invest in non-clinical, creative support (sport, art, music, mock concerts, performance) as a form of social and mental health intervention.
Skills Linkage
Develop Early Careers Engagement programmes and support local apprenticeships and work experience.
Active Travel and Multimodal Connectivity
Develop and invest in safe, affordable, and accessible transport links to improve physical connections between residential areas and key destinations for young people
Develop pathways
Working with key public and private sector stakeholders, link to the intervention of bringing back town centre opportunities and the creation of jobs to enable young people to thrive.
Community Hub Network
Convert empty buildings into accessible community connection hubs for support services, communication, activity and quiet sensory-friendly zones. This includes the refurbishment/extension of existing centres and development of new youth spaces.
Integrated Services
Establish dedicated, accessible non-institutional places for mental health and addiction dual-diagnosis support
Outreach and Inclusion
Invest in local hubs to offer on-site job training, skills workshops, and upskilling programmes directly to residents in deprived areas, making it easier for everyone to access new economic opportunities.
Physical Wellbeing
Support social activities (sport and recreation, community gardening, cooking groups) and activate parks to promote community health.
Delivery organisations
Work with Ramsgate’s communities to ensure services are designed to meet their needs, and work with stakeholders and delivery partners to ensure they are delivering what is required to make a step change for the people of Ramsgate.
Thanet council leader Cllr Rick Everitt said: “This funding is a game-changer. The vision is a direct result of the community’s passion and determination. This is not a plan imposed from above; it has been built by Ramsgate for Ramsgate.
“We now have a different set of resources to start to tackle some of the long-standing issues not dealt with through other capital funding programmes, restore civic pride, and ensure our town is a place where every resident, from Pegwell to Northwood and Nethercourt to Sir Moses Montefiore,, feels safe and sees opportunity.”
Brian Horton, Chair of the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, added: “This Vision and Regeneration Plan shows what we can achieve when the community works together and speaks with one voice. The Neighbourhood Board is delighted to have unanimously approved this plan for Ramsgate’s future.
“The hard work starts now. We will move quickly to turn the five key priorities—from Cleaner, greener streets to Investing in our young people—into real, practical projects. We are making sure that every pound of the £20 million funding creates long-term improvements and lasting pride in Ramsgate. We’ve moved beyond just trying to cope; we are now ready to succeed, together.”
Wednesday Lyle, Chair of Ramsgate Traders Group and Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board Member, said: “The high street has struggled for too long. This plan recognises that we need to ‘Open Up’ the town centre, including more than just retail. By supporting flexible workspaces and tackling empty units, we can diversify our local economy and make the High Street a destination again. Making our town look better and feel safer was shown to be a priority for residents and businesses alike.
“This plan will be focused on improving the town so it can be enjoyed by the whole community. It is an investment in our future workforce and local entrepreneurship.”
Louis Palfrey, Co-director from Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet and Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board Member added: “The message that ‘We feel unloved’ was loud and clear, but so was the assertion that ‘We have potential.’ This new plan responds to these messages with a shared vision for a future filled with hope. By prioritising core values of care and belonging, we can start to truly look out for each other, to build on and champion Ramsgate’s open-armed community. The dedication of the Neighbourhood Board ensures this will remain a dynamic, evolving plan that stays true to the needs of the people who make up our town.”
Seventy-five towns, including Ramsgate, were granted the Pride in Place funding and specialist support aimed at breathing new life into struggling high streets and boosting local economies.
The Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board will be responsible for the ultimate decision on how to spend the funding.
Ramsgate has already received major funding from the Levelling Up Fund (£19.84 million) and Future High Street Fund (£2.7 million).
