Plans for converting part of Albion House into flats

TDC have applied for planning permission to make most of Albion House into residential accommodation, to view the plans you have to put the application numbers F/TH/08/1376 and L/TH/08/1377 into the search box on the TDC planning website click here to go there.

You also have to have a pdf viewing program installed on your computer.#

Thanks to Gerald for pointing this one out to me.

Empire Day Ramsgate 1912

Many thanks to Mrs Knight who sent me the picture to include in my next book of old Ramsgate pictures.

Tudor Christmas returns to Margate

Thanet district Council Press Release

Authentic Tudor Christmas celebrations return to Margate for the third year running, with an expanded programme of events due to its growing popularity.

This year, the Tudor House in King Street will be throwing open its doors over two consecutive weekends from midday until 5pm on Saturday 6, Sunday 7, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December.

Built in the early 16th century, during the reign of King Henry VIII, it’s thought the Tudor House originally belonged to a wealthy farmer or brewer. This year, there is a wide variety of arts and crafts to purchase, all with origins in the Tudor period, along with period costumes from Hampton Court Palace. Visitors can also pick up information sheets on how to make pomanders, kissing boughs and Tudor biscuits and an exhibition upstairs focuses on ale making, historically a core Margate industry, which is mentioned by Samuel Pepys in his diary.

Entertainment is planned on all four days, with Emily Parrish sharing short traditional folk and ghostly stories for Christmas on Saturday 6 December, with adults of a nervous disposition accompanied by a child over the age of seven. The next day, Theatre of the Small – Devil’s Tales, a puppet and model theatre with stories from Medieval times will be entertaining everyone. On Saturday 13 December, Robert Poulter’s Model Theatre will have renditions of Henry VIII I am and Baroque Opera for the whole family. On the final day, Apple Squires will have medieval music, including bagpipes, woodwind and percussion, winter poetry and celebratory frolics.

Cllr. Roger Latchford, Cabinet Member for Culture and Economy, said: “The Tudor Christmas is a huge success every year and is an event that visitors have very much taken to their hearts. It’s a mark of its popularity that, this year, it’s been extended from just the one weekend to two weekends, giving people more chances to step back in time to Tudor days and experience life from 500 years ago. With the entertainment being planned for this year, there’s more to see and do at the Tudor Christmas than ever before.”

All events are free, although donations are welcome.

Housing plans go for further scrutiny

Thanet district Council Press Release

Plans to establish a shared service organisation to manage all council housing in East Kent are set for closer scrutiny.

The proposals, which would see the establishment of a management company, jointly owned by Canterbury City, Ashford Borough and Thanet, Dover and Shepway District Councils to manage the 21,000 homes owned by the five councils, have been detailed to the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

A Working Party has now been set up to look at the issue in more detail, which will report back to the Panel’s next meeting on Tuesday 27 January.

It’s hoped that the new way of working would lead to improvements in service, cost reductions and efficiencies. Under the plans, the 300 staff who currently deliver the housing service at each council would transfer over to the new organisation, which would be accountable to its board.

Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel, Cllr. Bob Bayford, said: “This is an incredibly important issue, which is set to affect thousands of tenants and leaseholders and a number of this council’s staff. The panel felt that it was important to give this issue the right amount of time and that’s why we’re bringing it back to our next meeting to look at it in more detail.”

Council Christmas opening hours

Thanet district Council Press Release

Details of Thanet District Council’s opening hours over the Christmas and New Year period have been announced.

The council offices and telephone switchboard will close at 4pm on Wednesday 24 December and will re-open at 8.45am on Friday 2 January 2009. During this time, if you have an emergency, please listen to the automated message and follow the instructions given.

The Ramsgate District Office will close at 12.30pm on Wednesday 24 December and will re-open at 8.45am on Friday 2 January 2009.

Thanet’s Gateway Plus in Cecil Street will close at 6pm on Tuesday 23 December and re-open at 9am on Saturday 27 December.

The Gateway will close for the New Year holiday at 4pm on Wednesday 31 December and re-open on Friday 2 January.

More airport visits for working party

Thanet district Council Press Release

A working group, set up to consider the draft masterplan for Kent International Airport at Manston, will be visiting more airports in the new year, as they help to draw up the council’s response to the document.

The Manston Airport Working Party was set up in May 2008 to help prepare the council for Infratil’s draft masterplan for the future development of the airport, which was published in October.

Since the working party was established, it has carried out a series of visits to other airports around the country, including Prestwick Airport, which is also owned by Infratil, the owners of Kent International Airport. In January, they will be visiting more airports, including Bristol and Bournemouth, to speak to airport operators and local councils.

The Chief Executive of Kent International Airport, Matt Clarke, will also be speaking to the Working Party at their next meeting, with the Chairman of the Kent International Airport Consultative Committee, Paul Twyman due to be invited to a future meeting.

Cllr. Mike Harrison is chairing the Manston Airport Working Party. He said: “The work we’re doing is giving us some really useful background information, which will undoubtedly help when the council responds to the draft master plan. It’s important that we look at how other airports around the country of a similar size to Manston operate and how they relate to their communities. There are always lessons you can learn from others and that’s why we’re carrying out these visits.”

Another working party is looking at the council’s approach to developing its budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy and how the council’s priorities have been determined. Their suggestions have already been incorporated into the budget survey, which is currently out to consultation until Friday 19 December.

A watching brief is also being kept by the Asset Management Working Party, who are overseeing the disposal process of council properties and land, which is currently at the consultation stage.

Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel, Cllr. Bob Bayford, said: “Looking at the big issues, such as the future of the airport, the council’s budget, which affects everyone, and the process of disposing of council property, is exactly what scrutiny should be doing. We’re pulling together information that will help to inform the council when it considers the airport master plan. It’s all about ensuring that we provide a robust challenge to those in charge and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Last Chance to Save Ramsgate Maritime Museum

Tomorrow is the deadline for making your submissions about Thanet District Council’s asset disposal program click here to see what they want to dispose of.

The main two assets for disposal being Northdown House and Ramsgate Maritime Museum, I have just made my submission relating to the Maritime museum below and will be working on the rest later.

The council tell me that their main concerns relate to the expense of repairing and maintaining the building, so this should be considered when making submissions.

I would urge all of you who wish to maintain any of the assets to email your submission to hannah.thorpe@thanet.gov.uk

I should like make a submission about the future use of Ramsgate Clock House now part of the councils asset disposal program, I gather that the deadline for this is tomorrow.

I am asking that the building be retained as a museum and that the tourist information office also be housed there.

Below are various points for your consideration.

1 The current intention to house the tourist information office in the library, which is not in a prominent position in the town, would mean that most tourists would be unlikely to find it.

2 The Maritime Museum’s collection is an important collection of particular significance to Ramsgate which would probably be lost to another part of the country without the building to house it.

3 Ramsgate has already lost its only other museum due to the library fire and I gather that this museum will non be reinstated when the library reopens.

4 While considerable investment is being made in Margate harbour arm, this area is perceived as Ramsgate’s equivalent and there is a perception of considerable disparity between investment in the two places.

5 The building is of considerable architectural importance and would be eligible for grant funding to carry out the necessary repairs.

6 Ramsgate’s maritime heritage, Royal Harbour, Clock House, Smeaton’s dry dock and the historic vessels are a poorly exploited resource, which could play a considerable part in regenerating the town. The council should be finding grant money and supporting an holistic approach to utilising these assets as they are supporting Margate’s regeneration through the arts.

Click here for more old pictures

Laura Sandys on the Damien Green Arrest

Thanet South’s Conservative candidate has an interesting personal take on the Damien green arrest, it relates to when her father Duncan Sandys was put in a somewhat similar position when he was an MP.

Click here to read what she has to say.

I also gather that when one of her ancestors famed for coining the name “Bloody Mary” was our MP the king had him locked in The Tower of London.

I have once again put in the video clip of Gordon Brown being interviewed about his mole, it’s still making me laugh.