Looking through this weeks Gazette I was shocked by the councils shortsighted penny pinching, they intend to take away the £5,000 a year rent subsidy to The Crampton Tower Museum in Broadstairs, this is a volunteer run museum that contributes considerably to Thanet’s tourist industry and all for less than £100 per week that means it costs us council tax payers about 4p a year each.And in Ramsgate one of the star attractions right in the middle of the café culture The Baltic Trader Kommandoren has gone and is unlikely to return, because of the council’s unhelpful attitude.
As far as I can see allowing quality historic ships to moor cheaply or for free in inner basin next to the café culture, must be one of the most cost effective methods of boosting tourism available.This certainly must be properly managed to avoid people leaving rotting hulks there that they can’t afford to maintain, the ideal place to display those vessels that are no longer seaworthy is the first part of the old main line railway tunnel adjacent to the Pleasurama site.
Truoble is michael, where does the money come from? Answer, out of the ratepayers pocket. Our grant from central government is decreasing in real terms, wages are going up, and it is being said that central government are pushing for unitary authorities.
ReplyDeleteThe question needs to be asked, do you want your council to be located in Thanet or Reading?
In all seriousness, Town and parish councils will never take up a stragic role, that will either be covered by a county and district council structure, or by a unitary(ie Thanet/dover/shepway/canterbury/swale.) and a regional (ie Kent/Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire/buckinghamshire etc).
What would you prefer?
oops I cant spell trouble
ReplyDeleteKen I appreciate your comments and that you are usually the only senior Conservative councillor to respond to controversial posting on the blogs.
ReplyDeleteHowever what we are seeing at the moment is both disproportionate investment in Margate, which is understandable I know with Margate collapsing as a town, while on the other hand taking away things in Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
When it comes to taking away things that cost virtually nothing and benefit local tourism considerably, this is just plain stupid bad economic sense.
The historic ships are just a free tourist attraction in out loss making marina which looking a mooring fees should be making a hansom profit.
I have hopefully answered your other comments about local government in the next post about the mayor of Thanet, I would appreciate your views on anything you think I have got wrong.
As for the spelling, I’m always doing it and wish there was a facility to correct comments.
Michael. I am not a 'senior' conservative councillor, I am a long serving councillor,(since 1995). I can tell you that a mayoral system keeps ward councillors, only called assembly members, The mayor can only get his/her plans through if the assembly agree, ie much the same as it is now. Do not believe that HMG want to give you a change, only a change in name
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