“Anchors Away !”

“A-vast behind, pieces of eight, dastardly deeds are afoot down in Davy Jones’ Locker.

Keel-haul the duffers and make them walk the plank. - Me hearties!”

Well -er actually NO.   It’s true they lost a gold anchor, probably melted down for bling at the lodge and the tall ships have disappeared over the horizon but there are small sparks of glimmering light at the end of a long tunnel.

Plans for replacement of pontoons, London Array HQ under construction, slipways demolition rejected, rumours of the Maritime Museum opening in the Spring, a harbour review, discussion papers on the future of the Harbour, Port and Ramsgate town as a whole. Perhaps the message about “listening to the people” has got through at last, or perhaps it’s just election year (cynical or what?)

Anyhow, it’s about time we raised the profile of the Royal Harbour and realised the potential role it can play in the regeneration of Thanet, not just as a tourist attraction and a fun palace but as a working port, pleasure marina and a Royal historic harbour.

I believe the Ramsgate Royal Harbour is the most important asset in Thanet, dare I say it, even more important for regeneration than the holy grail (TC), so over the next few days I am going to explore various aspects of the Royal Harbour, its history, its attractions, its workings and its future, feel free to agree or disagree in the comments section.

WRONG place - WRONG time

Tarmac Thanet News

COMING TO A GREENFIELD SITE NEAR YOU?

£10 million government grant applied for, to tarmac two more green fields in Thanet. To be topped up with £500.000 from Infratil. As the heading says WRONG place – WRONG time, remember that other planning blunder called Westwood Cross which succeeded in decimating the old town centres. Well now we have the next one, Parkway Station, one green field for the station and a second for a commuter car park !

Air passengers arriving or departing at KIA and travelling by train have no need for a car park.

Wrong Place

If  Manston airport desperately needs a high speed rail service to facilitate expansion then a KIA terminal station should be built on a  branch line into the airport, adjacent to the massive empty car parks already there. The branch line could then be used for freight services off-peak. This would reduce the need for China Gateway and the flood of lorries known as logistics. If the airport does not have sufficient passengers to support its own station then airport coaches can just as easily go to Minster or Ramsgate Stations, there would be little difference in the journey time

WHAT PARKWAY STATION MEANS FOR YOU ?

Two more green fields lost to tarmac.

Another large car park in the countryside

Ramsgate and Minster stations redundant, HS1 will stop at Margate and Parkway.

Coaches will circle Manston Airport day and night, if the airport expands

Constant pressure for new residential development around the new station

Cliffsend to Minster will become one sprawling suburb by 2050.

Wrong Time.

In these current austere economic times, to spend £10.5 million on another “status” white elephant is foolhardy, just think how far £10.5 million pounds would go to the regeneration of Thanet, if targeted at the existing infrastructure and amenities.

This reminds me of a true story from when my wife was a teacher. The school where she taught received a designated grant to build a new cycle path to the school, although only a few pupils cycled to school. The grant was received and the path constructed, but there was NO money available in the school to replace 20 year old text books, which the children used for their learning.   Fund allocation gone mad!

Let’s have some “joined up thinking”. on this project, the existing Ramsgate swimming pool is being made redundant and the fear is that it will be replaced by housing development, so spend less than £10 million on a superb new sports facility on the site, which can have an integral car park used for sporting events at weekends and a commuter car park during the week, which is just alongside Ramsgate station and parking income can pay for the sports ground upkeep.

Fiddle -er on the roof ?

Porta-cabins  falling from Jumbos over Ramsgate? 

No!  Just your average dormer window extension, in Thanet.

One coming to your street soon?