Pleasurama development Ramsgate Thanet District Councillors views reviewed.

If you read the comments on my post a couple of days “What Thanet District Councillors have to say about the Pleasurama development in Ramsgate” you will see that Dr Alistair Bruce has similar reservations to mine about the two areas where he has specialist knowledge and Michael Jarvis about the bond.

So there you have it the councillor who is a qualified environmental and geological expert doesn’t like the dangers posed by the environmental and geological aspects of the project.

The councillor with extensive business knowledge of the Commercial and Financial industry, who having worked for over 20 years in the City of London graduated from London South Bank University with a honours degree in Business Studies, isn’t happy about the financial and business aspects of the project.

The responses from the cabinet members leave a little to be desired, Cllr-Shirley Tomlinson cabinet member for environmental services seems quite happy to ignore the views of the only environmental specialist involved. Cllr Roger Latchford Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Economic Development appears to think the development is a good idea but doesn’t say why. Cllr Simon Moores who as far as cabinet goes is the new kid on the block seems to be quite happy about the way things are.

The Labour group seem to have considerable reservations about the project Cllr Alan Poole is unhappy about many aspects of the project as is Cllr Iris Johnston and Cllr Mark Nottingham.

I am hoping to get replies from some of the other councillors in the fullness of time and wish to extend my thanks to those who already have, I don’t often send out emails to councillors with the intention of publishing replies where the recipient agrees and understand that councillors have to be careful of all of the regulations surrounding them.

For me the one of the biggest problems with this huge project is the lack of public consultation in Ramsgate on this issue, we know we are not getting the gull winged development that was supposed to be set well below the cliff top, which is what it says in the planning applications planning and design statement.

The assumption is that the architect made a mistake about the height of the cliff or that the developer really did intend the thing to stand above the cliff top blotting out the horizon, but as there has been no public consultation I don’t really know.

I would like to know what the effect of the new design would have on the view from the cliff top, but all of the artistic impressions of the building viewed from the cliff top are for the previous design.

So we have a cliff top view with a listed Regency Crescent of international architectural significance behind us Smeaton’s Royal Harbour and The Royal Victoria Pavilion in front and nothing to show us how this view will be effected, only in Thanet.

Without the public consultation trying to get some informed comment out of our elected representatives seems to be the only option.

The contractor told me some time ago that the developer SFP had put the project on hold until the end of the summer, presumably to ride out the recession so I was quite surprised when the council announced that construction work would start ten days after the council’s decision.

Then it occurred to me that as I believe the development agreement states that the council would be obliged to buy the hotel that forms part of the development, if there are no other takers and as the hotel is to be built first, without the performance bond SFP couldn’t really lose out by going as far as building the hotel. Even is it is dangerous uninsurable and blighted it would seem the council may have to buy it.