15 Thanet stories from 2025

January

A Notice of Appointment for an administrator was lodged by St Augustine’s College Ltd on January 31.

A letter was sent to customers confirming Andrew Tate and James Hopkirk of Kreston Reeves LLP were the joint administrators.

The letter said: “The company is insolvent and unable to pay its debts.

“Regrettably the venue hire part of the business has ceased operations and the company will not be able to host your upcoming event.

“If you have paid funds in advance then unfortunately you will have an unsecured claim against the company.

“As administrators our aim is to sell the property and make distributions to creditors if funds allow.

“However, at this stage it is uncertain whether there will be enough funds to distribute to unsecured creditors.”

February

A man who murdered a lone woman walking her dog on a footpath at Minnis Bay was jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years and 183 days..

Harrison Lawrence-Van Pooss, of Margate, killed Claire Knights on 23 August 2023, as she walked back from the beach at Minnis Bay. He sexually assaulted her and beat her repeatedly. He then dumped her body in a nearby dyke. Claire did not know her attacker.

The day before the murder, Lawrence-Van Pooss, 21, had been caught upskirting a woman at The Powell pub where he worked. He was confronted but went on the run before he could be arrested. It is believed he camped out by the beach overnight, before attacking Claire the following afternoon.

When he was found and arrested by police, Lawrence-Van Pooss had Claire’s dog with him.

In July, the Court of Appeal deemed his sentence as ‘unduly lenient’ and increased the time to be served to a minimum term of 29 years and 229 days.

March

National Grid submitted its application to the Planning Inspectorate for development consent for the Sea Link project, which includes a 28-metre high, 90,000 square metre onshore converter station at Minster marshes in the Stour Valley.

The converter station, plus external equipment such as lightning protection, safety rails for maintenance works, ventilation equipment, aerials, and similar small scale operational plant, or other roof treatment, will also have a new substation immediately adjacent.

The Sea Link project involves creating a subsea electricity cable between Suffolk and Kent which National Grid says will help deliver the UK’s energy security strategy and net zero targets.

The proposals outline a preferred route which includes a landfall in Pegwell Bay to a proposed converter station site and high voltage pylons over the land to the south of Minster.

There is significant opposition to the Sea Link project with campaign group Save Minster Marshes fighting the plans and Kent Wildlife Trust heading up the Rethink Sea Link campaign.

April

Conservationists and local volunteers celebrated as Dane Valley Woods, an important green oasis nestled between the council estate and railway line in Margate, was officially designated as a Local Wildlife Site.

The designation recognises the site’s exceptional value for biodiversity, its importance to the local community, and its key role within the wider landscape. Listed in the Green Infrastructure Plan for Thanet District Council and recently designated as Local Green Space, Dane Valley Woods continues to grow in stature as a crucial natural refuge.

Managed by the dedicated volunteers of Dane Valley Woods, the site excludes the nearby allotments and playing field but fully encompasses the woodland area itself.

The community woodland, established in 2003 with the support of Thanet council, was created on the grounds of a former landfill. Today, it stands as a testament to the power of community-led rewilding.

The site is a mosaic of habitats, newly planted native trees, scrub, and wildflower meadows. It provides excellent conditions for reptiles, butterflies, birds, and wildflowers. Notably, viviparous lizards (Zootoca vivipara) are regularly recorded throughout the site, highlighting its importance for local reptile populations.

The designation was confirmed by the Kent Nature Partnership and Thanet District Council, marking what conservationists called a significant “win for nature.”

May

Reform UK caused a “political earthquake” as it made an almost clean sweep at the polls.

Nigel Farage’s party took 57 of the 81 seats at County Hall in a resounding victory few imagined possible.

It was a day of wild celebration for Reform UK across Kent and the end of an era for Kent Tories whose leader declared their demise as “apocalyptic” even before lunchtime.

That month crowds also packed Ramsgate for events to mark the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo – the WWII rescue of troops from beaches at Dunkirk.

Some 70 Little Ships have been heading to Ramsgate harbour for the commemorations – the largest gathering of the vessels since the historic flotilla took part in the heroic efforts to rescue British soldiers and Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940.

There was also live music, a funfair, stunning projections on the Clock House telling the story of the wartime operation and a series of displays and tours at the Ramsgate Tunnels.

June

A scheme that helped thousands of Thanet children and families since 2020 was sadly closed down due to health issues.

Community Kindness Thanet, was set up by Sonia Knight in November 2020. Initially created to help just for the festive season it soon expanded to provide gifts throughout the year, from birthdays to Easter and more.

The scheme operated through referrals from schools, social services and Early Help workers to make sure those most in need were helped.

Over the years at least 5,000 people, probably more, received assistance.

Sonia, who lives in Margate with husband Doug, has a background in supporting vulnerable people but changed her job during lockdown to become a school mentor to give her a better work/life balance and more time to run Community Kindness.

But in February, after blood tests and scans, Sonia discovered she had a huge ovarian tumour and, in the face of medical treatment, put Community Kindness-Thanet on hold.

The 48-year-old underwent surgery to remove the tumour but the situation meant she made the difficult decision to close the scheme with immediate effect.

July

The Cliftonville Lido site was marketed for sale with a pre-application proposal for a 100-room spa hotel, 90 new apartments, and a sculpture park.

The freehold is being offered for two plots at the Lido, with an option also available for the Lido Bar and Pool Hall.

The site houses the Grade II listed Clifton Baths which were constructed between 1824 and 1828, making them one of the earliest surviving seawater bathing establishments in the country.

The Lee Evans-led study proposed a landmark mixed-use scheme comprising a 100-bed boutique spa hotel, approximately 90 one- and two-bedroom apartments built into the cliffside, and a publicly accessible clifftop sculpture park.

The 2.1 acre site is being marketed by Knight Frank with asking price on application.

August

A Westgate teenager was crowned winner of the national Skateboard GB championships – for the second time.

Tay Cunningham, 16, is the first person to take the title twice, last winning it in 2023 when he was just 14.

He scored a massive 92.57 – 11 points ahead of the next highest competitor – out of a possible 100 score from the five judges.

The heats for the male Park event featured 14 competitors at the Concrete Waves Skatepark in Newquay.

Concrete Waves is one of the largest and well-known skateparks in the UK and the home to British Olympian, Lola Tambling.

The Park competitions take place in a skatepark bowl, with athletes performing tricks out the top of the pool and on the coping surrounding it.

The competition featured the best skateboarders from across the UK, including members of the Skateboard GB National Team but it was Tay that smashed it, bringing cheers of delight as he performed.

Former King Ethelbert student Tay is ranked 50^th in the world for his sport and aims to be on the GB team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

He already has a spot in the Olympic qualifiers and also travels the world for competitions and training, most recently in California with upcoming trips to Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Bali and Japan.

September

Five Sussex chickens stolen from allotments in Ramsgate were found in Margate.

The chickens, owned by plot holder John Moosab were swiped from the Stirling Way Allotments on August 28.

John has been keeping chickens for around a decade and this group had been on the site for the last four years.

Fellow allotment member Graham Attwell said whoever took the birds had been equipped with tools to remove the hasp and staple from the woodwork of the chicken run without damaging the padlock.

The allotment group appealed through The Isle of Thanet News for any information to help them find the chickens – and just hours later they received news that the chooks had been found more than two miles away on allotments at Drapers Mill.

They were found wandering around on the site by Drapers Mill allotment holder  Katrina Plumridge whose mum then saw The Isle of Thanet News appeal.

Katrina had managed to catch four of the five chickens. One more was still loose but on the allotments somewhere.

October

It was confirmed that Bradstow School in Broadstairs will close for good by the end of the year as owners Wandsworth Council  ‘formally consulted’ on the closure “as a last resort.”

The residential special school has supported children with complex learning needs and autism since 1990, when it was inherited by Wandsworth Council.

In November last year, Wandsworth Council proposed closing the school at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. The London authority said the decision was driven by the unwillingness of some councils to pay fees at a level needed to ensure the school remains viable, including Kent County Council which had the most pupil placements.

Since then, Wandsworth Council supported Bradstow School with an academy application to the DfE with the Cygnus Academies Trust to allow it to remain open.

But in August the DfE announced the application had not been approved. A statutory notice of intention to discontinue Bradstow School was pushed by the London council shortly afterwards.

An effort to save the school included a petition featuring 1,700 signatories opposing the closure submitted to the Mayor of Wandsworth.

At a council meeting in October, the Wandsworth authority leader Cllr Simon Hogg confirmed the school, which currently still has 12 pupils, the majority being Kent youngsters, was in the formal consultation stage for closure.

The statutory notice says: “It is proposed that the school will be closed with effect from 31 December 2025 further to the statutory process.

“A separate OFSTED process for closing the children’s homes will be initiated and it is proposed that the Children’s Homes will also be closed with effect from 31 December 2025.”

The same month initial designs for ambitious project to bring the Margate Winter Gardens back into use revealed plans for new extensions including for a restaurant and terrace, a new entrance, ramped outdoor access, VIP booths and demolition of the roof cover over the current entrance steps.

There will also be removal of structures at the promenade end of the building to be replaced with extensions for the sea view restaurant, a new main entrance at the promenade side of the building and extensions for drama school classrooms. An extension of the lobby will create nursery space.

The nursery will include separate baby and toddler areas, a sleep room, pre-school and staff facilities. There will also be outside ramped access for those with pushchairs.

The main hall will include a new bar extension and a secondary entrance/exit route to the promenade.

A VIP entrance and booths are also proposed, as well as  mezzanine ‘pod over’ seating areas.

The new restaurant will cater for between 80 and 100 covers and a new extension will provide the base for a new restaurant terrace.

The drama school will have studio and performance space with stage as well as classroom areas.

Ramped access will be created to the gardens.

Westwood One Theatre – also operator of the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate and Under 1 Roof nurseries- has now formally finalised the agreement with Thanet council for a 999-year lease and a £4 million grant towards the renovation from Margate’s £22m Town Deal fund.

The refurbishment is estimated at £7.9m plus VAT (£9.5m gross). Of this the council is providing grant support of £4m plus VAT, with the balance being provided by Westwood One Theatre, supported by capital borrowing.

November

Ramsgate salon owner Marcello Marino won a legal judgment in his long-running battle over insurance related to a Southern Water sewer collapse at his business in 2023.

The collapse meant Marcello had to shut his business and move out of his home for seven months and was then refused renewed cover by his insurance company Hiscox, forcing another two month closure.

The dad-of-three has run his hair salon, Marcello’s in West Cliff Road, for more than three decades but has almost been driven out of business since the sewer collapse and ensuing issues over pipe ownership, business insurance and building safety sign off.

Southern Water said the sewer pipe section was private and therefore Marcello’s responsibility even though the water firm covered the cost of repairs. But Marcello disputed ownership of the pipe section saying Southern Water’s lining contractor confirmed the section is not a private asset but ‘a shared pipe’ that was the water company’s responsibility.

Southern Water has since said it has to ‘reassess’ ownership of the sewer.

A claim with Marcello’s insurers, Hiscox, was ongoing but he then received a letter to say the firm would not renew the cover, which forced him to close yet again.

In a bid to prove his case and bring ‘the truth’ to light, Marcello had requested his personal data held by Hiscox – such as emails and call recordings- but says the company refused to release this.

The determined business owner then lodged a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office which advised Hiscox to review Marcello’ request within 21 days.

It also informed Marcello that he could take legal action “should they not provide you with the personal data to which you are entitled.”

Marcello took this action and a default judgment was issued with an award of £3,633 in damages.

This sum has not been received and Marcello has instructed court enforcement.

December

Good news marked the end of the year as both Broadstairs Memorial Hall- home to the Sarah Throne Theatre- and Pie Factory Music’s Ramsgate HQ were saved from being sold at auction

Thanet council has agreed to ‘forward fund’ £535k for Pie Factory Music to buy the freehold for its Ramsgate Youth Centre base – securing its future after 15 months of uncertainty.

The Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, which oversees the £20m Pride in Place funding awarded to the town with Thanet council as the accountable body, agreed the funding on December 12.

KCC provided Pie Factory Music with two options – either lease the site, at a commercial rate (£40k per annum) over the next 20 years, or purchase the site, as a special purchaser, for £535,000, provided the purchase is completed by 16 January 2026. If not, KCC would sell the site at auction.

However, the Pride in Place funding is not officially released until next April so Thanet council Cabinet members agreed on December 18 to forward fund the amount from the Local Regeneration Fund (made up of Levelling Up, Town Deal and Future High Street funding) to make sure the deal was sealed.

Repayment will be made from the Pride in Place Programme when the funds become available next year.

Sarah Thorne Theatre founder and director Michael Wheatley-Ward was also revealed as the new owner of the Broadstairs Memorial Hall and Pottery.

The site – which houses the theatre- had been up for sale in the latest Clive Emson auction.

Kent County Council, which owned the Fordoun Road site, had said the sale needed to take place because no ‘viable’ community offer has been secured. The building was declared surplus to KCC’s needs. It was placed on the disposal list in 2024.

One bid was made at auction but this was significantly below the £350,000 asking price.

Following the failure to sell under the hammer it was revealed a deal had been made after the auction had ended to secure a new owner.

On December 12 County Councillor John Finch revealed Mr Wheatley-Ward was the purchaser.

Michael is forming a Charity Trust and will pass over the theatre to hold for future generations.