Sunday 17 April 2011

Chinese Puzzle?

Much publicity was generated about the Thanet District Council delegation, which visited China in 2008 with the supposed intention of securing Chinese investment in the China Gateway project. Three years on, with no commitment by the Chinese to support the venture and a fragile financial predicament of the development company , no sign of economic advantage from the East Kent Opportunities LLP backed venture has filtered through to Thanet.

In fact the planning permission for China Gateway Phase 1 still remains outstanding and not approved because of real concerns about discharge of effluent from the factories and warehouses into septic tanks above Thanet’s underground drinking water supply.

Grandiose schemes like these are “pies in the sky” and it is very unlikely they will come to fruition. The number and type of jobs created by this sort of venture are not accurately quantifiable and by no means secure. Take the example of M&S Westwood Cross for instance, on the face of it, a creator of many jobs, but when the number of jobs lost at M&S Margate is deducted, the picture looks far less rosy.

The only way to job security is economic prosperity for the whole island and whilst Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate continue to look run down and unattractive to both visitors and prospective new residents alike, the Thanet malaise will remain. Grants are available for regeneration on a large scale like Turner Contemporary or on a small scale for garden planting etc. We need a council sympathetic to the needs of the whole community and with the energy and determination to make it happen rather than sitting on their hands and saying “it can’t be done”

7 comments:

  1. More Yawn!!!!

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  2. Ken, just a word, but, as you are a candidate and this is effectively an electioneering posting, should you not list a 'published by' footnote as Tony Flaig does over on Big News. Just a thought for we don't want you falling foul of the rules.

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  3. Bill, My imprint covers the whole blog and is always shown under the "Independent Candidate for Thanet Villages" banner at the head of the page, so whichever post you choose to read the imprint is showing.

    Thanks for the concern.

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  4. Ken
    Your imprint has been there since the day that you announced that you were a candidate. I doubt if you could have made it any bigger.
    Bill would do better advising his Tory pal on the north coast, whose imprint is so small as to be invisible. Oh, and cut down on the late night sherries - Eastcliff Matters refers.

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  5. Readers of Thanet's blogs will know that on his own admission Bill posts comments when he has had too much "sauce". Must be another example but a bit early in the day. Just as well he is not a councillor.

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  6. Glad Andrew and Anon are keeping abreast of the blogs and recalling earlier comments, even if it was port not sherry and intended as a bit of humour.

    Strangely enough, Andrew, I was trying to be helpful and had genuinely missed the heading. Also, for the record, I do not even know Simon Moores, who you describe as my Tory friend, though have no problem with being seen as on the right of opinion. Far better than being on the wrong side.

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  7. Bill,Whatever others are saying, your concern was much appreciated.

    I respect everyones' political views. As I said in an earlier post, as an Independent I must be prepared to work with politicians of all parties.

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