Plans for Thanet council’s Green Campus at the Port of Ramsgate have been approved by the authority’s planning committee.
The £8.5m Green Campus is part of the £19.8m Ramsgate’s Levelling Up scheme. It had been expected to gain match-funding from the private sector but this has also not been forthcoming.
The original funding allocation for the scheme was £6.1 million. However it was allocated extra funding due to rising costs in April last year and then received another £2m in June 2025 after a decision to scrap the project to revive ferry operations and spread that funding to other schemes.
The design is now for a phased scheme with a budget of £8,558,461 and the aim is to provide training, education and business opportunities for the marine and maritime sector.
The site will consist of two workplace blocks (A and B), and an office building, (Block C), which includes flexible co-working spaces and conference rooms and is expected to be built in two phases, with two buildings in phase one, and the third one coming later “potentially in collaboration with a third party,” according to the planning application.
Only the first two of those buildings will be funded with the LUF money with the third – block B- needing external investment.
Speaking at the planning meeting last night (April 22) Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property, Cllr Ruth Duckworth, said: “The Green Campus is more than just three buildings, it is a strategic investment in Ramsgate’s economic future.
“By transforming a site currently used for vehicle storage into a hub for the green and maritime sectors, we are fulfilling a commitment to create jobs and establish a centre for innovation.
“It will incorporate training facilities alongside work places for small and established businesses.
“Conceived as a business incubator, the scheme will foster future growth and generate long-term economic opportunities for the local community.
“We are moving forward with a clear plan to ensure the Green Campus becomes self-sustaining for Ramsgate’s economy.
“To ensure the site’s long-term success we will formally market the opportunity to expert third party operators later this year.”
Blocks A and C have grant funding with criteria that it must create at least 30 jobs. Cllr Duckworth said there had also been interest in Block B – which needs external investment- from businesses.
The aim is for people using the site to walk/cycle rather than using a car and there will be road safety measures, including a crossing, installed.
However, there will be provision of 41 parking spaces as well as 16 cycle parking spaces.
Traffic is expected to come through the Royal Harbour Approach tunnel but will have to use Military Road when this is shut.
Cllr Duckworth said if the project was abandoned the council would incur ‘substantial abortive costs.’
Ward councillor Becky Wing said she thought the buildings would be a ‘massive improvement’ at the site but did ask questions about conflict with people using the Western Undercliff area, drainage and provision for bird nesting.
Planning manager Iain Livingstone reiterated that walking and cycling would be ‘actively encouraged,’ said there would be an interceptor installed regarding run off and provision for nesting could be included in the subsequent biodiversity submission.
The scheme, which still needs to secure tenants, was approved with 11 votes in favour and two abstentions.
The aim is to start work on site this Summer with project completion by Summer 2027.
luxury appartments next then , that was always the plan anyway !
Does this mean that thanet will now be competing against Hull, Portsmouth, Southampton etc for the training of marine and maritime skills. Or has tdc spotted a gap in the market ?
Green Campus.
White elephant?
Another useless planning Idea by TDC
No private sector interest but we’ll still go ahead anyway. Brilliant.
Where exactly does TDC think the commericial tenants will come from? What kind of jobs will be created from these non existent occupants?
And who on earth would pay for co working space there? And why?
This scheme, and the ferry, were the most redundant ones from the LUF bids but are the ones with continued funding.
Bonkers.
There is very little evidence in our local diet that we are a seaside town with a port and fishing boats. Local fish and chips are delicious but that is as far as it goes.
Our latest project was at Radford House for just 4 weeks in March. We discovered that Ramsgate families could be encouraged to shop, cook and eat much more local seasonal fruit and veg. Interest soared, many simple recipes and tips were exchanged and warm onion bhajis were enjoyed! Making fresh local seasonal produce available in large quantities and at a price everyone could afford gave people the encouragement they needed to have a go. (If you would like to know more please see our Facebook page ‘Local Meals made with Love.)
I am telling you all this because i think Ramsgate’s Green Campus would be the perfect place for this project to find a permanent home.
Sharon your project is a white elephant it replies on long term funding and freebies and long term it’s unsustainable
That is all simply untrue.
Excellent point. We often decry the lack of fishmongors locally, when it is so much easier in Whitstable, Deal or Hythe.
Who will fund and pay for that project to be permanently housed there? I dont disagree it isnt a superb project but as with all vital causes, they need sustainable funding. I’d have thought the apprentice fishing fleet would have been the ideal project, and tenant, but that project was shelved. Because it required ongoing subsidy and TDC wouldn’t agree that.
Cllr Duckworth said if the project was abandoned the council would incur ‘substantial abortive costs.
This is the important part. This is the reason why the Councillors are ploughing on with a complete white elephant. They have already spent just under £1.8m on this scheme which will not be covered by the grant received if they decide to pull the plug on it now. It will have to be covered from general Council spending for this year.
They got caught out on this last year too where they had to find over £600k of their own money due to pulling the plug on the Fantasy Ferries project.
So, the Labour Cabinet have totally stitched themselves up here with this which is why they are being forced to continue with it. Total incompetence.
There needs to be an independent review of all the grant money received and how it has been spent in Thanet. It’s been nothing short of a disgrace. Generational sums of money being received which have been totally wasted.
Thanetian Blind I completely agree with you. It is so depressing that TDC decided Smack Boys and the fishing fleet was a no go. And then cancelled the Future High St funds, 4 years after zero delivery and then repurposed a few million LUF on the ferry, despite it not being a LUF project and then variously reshuffling the Maritime Museum, the jewel in our crown surrounded and boarded up during the D Day commemorations. The waste of money is eye watering. The lack of competence by the leading administration is appalling, and yet more money comes in when there is a change of government and within a year they’ve bought Pie Factory. Meanwhile over in LUF and Future High St funds? Down the drain.
Ferrylicious …roll on roll off like mum’s deodorant. I smell something fishy.
Nowt is sustainable ..who would drive down there. Dead sheep were slaughtered there.
Then TDC were always sheepish. Good old Iain Livingstone pushing a dead donkey through.
The seasonal local food project does not rely on freebies. Ask anyone who came and collected produce this time. I have shown again and again how to run food projects that are popular, empowering and sustainable. The aim of the pride in place project is to make long term tangible improvement to peoples’ lives . Bringing. Back cooking at home would benefit local people for generations to come.
And what about the ice cream parlour you were involved with setting up next to Bugsy’s in Cliftonville, that white elephant swallowed up huge sums in grant funding and it was closed within six months. An absolutely disgraceful waste of money based on a ridiculous idea! Also let’s not forget the food bank on Margate high street that ran up huge electricity bills it couldn’t pay. And now you want the council to give you a green campus building for your next brilliant scheme! You’re having a laugh.
All loan monies were repaid at the ice cream parlour which you are quite right in saying was not the right idea for that site.
The food project on Margate high street run by ‘our kitchen on the isle of Thanet’ was enormously popular and ran up no bills or debts. TDC supported this initiative with a rent free site. This project made no profit, created one full time job opportunity and had an extremely hard working and dedicated group of volunteers. The site was unoccupied before and after it was used by us. This project was given to SEK when I had to go into hospital
“Bring back cooking from home.” Why does that need a project? Cooking isn’t rocket science.
We once had a hovercraft service a ferry to France & Belgium and a airport . A selection of good shopping across thanet.even a model village & car museum.theatres etc . We’ve got nothing now .Id rather have 1 of these return than some green campus unit building what ever you call it . Do you your training here to use on what job around here. And would you really eat local caught seafood . ( swimming about in all that foul waste not for me .) Yuk .
i am toying with the idea of calling myself an artist , then finding an empty property ,( ramsgate is full of them ) i will call it an art gallery , then buy myself a large hat and a pair of bright yellow trousers , you know – to look arty , then i will collect all the grants and lottery money that they will throw at me , ( with lots of help from part time polly ) and i will never have to work again.
God what planet are these people on …green campus …41 parking spaces …mainly taken up by the occupiers …oh when people come to do business perhaps they will cycle from all over the country ….brainless idiots ….the only use for that site like it or not ….is hotel .apartments shops …water sport centre and make real money ….suggest the councilors.all cycle down to brighton marina and look at the thriving regeneration of the area ….
Brain dead is right, lack of imagination, let’s build a marine village with pop up shops , boutiques, bistros etc. turn the port into a tourist attraction don’t leave as a dump.
Stop! Ramsgate has a lot going for it, but has lost a lot of its attractions and support busineses, yes all sea side towns struggle. There is no quick fix councils need to assess what business are doing well and support them all to grow and attract more. Then dicide in which direction they are going? Traditional seaside tourist or radical possibly international new port/town concept.
Try to keep a complex policy simple, and one the majority support.
(yes easy to say I’m sorry)