This post is for Margate locals and the people of Thanet, visitors, strangers, those of a nervous disposition and local Tories, please look away because everything is just marvelous, now for those of us who live here, this week could not have been worse.Clearly the fire at Dreamland was not the responsibility of our local council or Kent county council, but right now we are all aware that Margate is on its knees, can it get worse?
Lets put the blame firmly where it belongs with our local authorities, exhibit A., The Turner Contemporary Gallery this should have been built and opened by this year had this been managed competently we would be by now experiencing all those promised benefits of affluent visitors to Margate and Thanet. Kent Council must take the full blame since they were meant to be running the project and one assumes chose the design and contractors.
Now we come to exhibit B, Parking policy again traders and residents of Margate will be only too aware that Thanet council effectively commandeer Mill Lane carpark by giving free parking to themselves (Staff are now getting a benefit of £1,200 approx). As a result of this you and I have to pay up to £1.80 per hour to park in the street because all the off street spaces are taken by free loading, council employees. Thanet has if I remember correctly up until now barely made back their operating cost on parking charges, so rather than scrap them the are doing their level best to destroy retail business in Thanet, the council have extended their new draconian anti business policy into Broadstairs I see.
I have not noticed Sandy Ezekiel make any public justification for these outrageous changes but then that's no surprise, maybe it could make a subject for his contribution to one of the local papers.
Finally it actually does get worse, as I found out on Thursday night when visiting my favour Chip shop in Margate (Petes Fish Factory). Only to discover that some of last few parking spaces in Margate have just been destroyed. In fairness Kent Highways claim responsibility for this "improvement" and will be putting in seating where once you could park, obviously I doubt anyone involve in tinkering with Margate would have noticed that provision is made all along the front for seating on the sea wall.
What an absolute mess Margate is in. It is heartbreaking to see.
ReplyDeleteNorthdown Road empty
ReplyDeletewell done Sandy
Distinct Hatter Council are just a bunch of wasters, I don't know who to blame the elected part for so blanty failing to control the executive or the executive for being a bunch of money grabbing gits.
ReplyDeleteTake your choice!
I parked at the Rendezvous car park today for £1.10p for 3 hours. But then I was prepared to walk for 90 seconds to get into the high street which you obviously aren't prepared to do.
ReplyDeleteIt is great that car parks are giving way to seating and car free areas. I love it. Pedestrianise the High Street completely and the sea front. Send all the traffic around the back of Arlington House and we might just be dragging Thanet into the 21st century. Don't you get it? Cars are a pain in the neck. They blight the centre of every small village and town in Kent. I drive but I will be only too happy to get out and walk. You should try it. It might even do you good, You are suffering from Carbon monoxide poisoning by the sound of it.
My business is already suffering from the ecomomic downturn. Tdc thro it's greed on parking charges, is another nail in the coffin and does not help Margate's regeneration. These parking charges apply sundays etc and also ripe motorists off as there is free parking on the road provided by KCC, but the motorist is not informed of this.. During the week the carparks are full of Tdc employee's cars contributing nothing towards our local economy and other motorists have to park on the top levels in Mill Lane, discouraging the general public to park there. The Council's attitute is, we own the carparks, our employees need to get to work, even though there is a very adequate public transportation in Thanet, and it also makes the green policies of this Council bit of a joke and the Ratepayer is being ripped off!
ReplyDeleteMy local resident's parking permit went up 25%, obviously TDC are not too aware about inflation.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know how much TDC employees contribute to the local economy? How much do they contribute? Where do they live? Where do they buy their food or shop? Do you know any of this? If so tell us.
ReplyDeleteWent to Northdown Road today and put 50p in the machine when 30p used to do the job; thats a 67% increase for 30 minutes parking! The problem was not helped by the fact that I had forgotten Sunday is free. B****r!
ReplyDeleteOk, lets set the matter straight.
ReplyDeleteI was responsible for bringing in 'De-Crim' parking in 1999.
Fact-- The police have more important things to do than sort out people who overstay the time limits on 'street' parking. We as a council do it now, and that has to be paid for.
Options, Charge the parker, or charge the ratepayer, to employ the staff to do it.
TDC took the view that the parker should pay,
When Northdown road was brought into the scheme the traders were against it, but figures show that the real reason the road was a parking disaster area was that staff and shop keepers were using the area as a 'free' parking area.
Now, instead of 30'ish shops being empty in Northdown Road, only 10'ish are empty.
Seriously, if we could trust the motorists, then we would not need wardens.
Ok, lets set the matter straight.
ReplyDeleteI was responsible for bringing in 'De-Crim' parking in 1999.
Fact-- The police have more important things to do than sort out people who overstay the time limits on 'street' parking. We as a council do it now, and that has to be paid for.
Options, Charge the parker, or charge the ratepayer, to employ the staff to do it.
TDC took the view that the parker should pay,
When Northdown road was brought into the scheme the traders were against it, but figures show that the real reason the road was a parking disaster area was that staff and shop keepers were using the area as a 'free' parking area.
Now, instead of 30'ish shops being empty in Northdown Road, only 10'ish are empty.
Seriously, if we could trust the motorists, then we would not need wardens.
Ken frankly where I am trying to trade in Ramsgate all of the side streets around me have been double yellow lined and now the main sands car park has been turned into a roundabout for vehicles that can’t get to it. I really think some sort of explanation is in order, who should I contact to get one?
ReplyDeleteKen you miss the point the heart and sole of our towns is being ripped out and are in need of urgent help.
ReplyDeleteRetail businesses must be under incredible strain it really is quite outrageous that its OK for the taxpayer to subsidise council employees to the tune of 1200 pounds (minimum), and yet that same luxury is not afforded too the rest of us.
If its a question of money why not sack a few staff or better still re-assign them to something useful.
Still its good that you don't attempt to side sstep the Tories role in the Turner debacle
Most lOCALS think that Northdown Rd was killed off as a shopping destination when the parking charges were introduced. Regarding empty shops, how many of the current shops on the road are charity shops, enjoying public subsidy on rates etc. Margate will soon be loosing many more shops and Tdc has not done anything to help local traders. It seems that Tdc are perfectly happy that local small businesses are closing down. Parking charges are an easy target for revenue, TDC has failed to consider the impact on the local economy. It is time that the parking restrictions had a major overall in Thanet and this would encourage people back to our towns.
ReplyDeleteQuote another comment on another blog 'The Marine Conservation Society report into beach litter this week found one dead dog during its survey of Britain's coastline. I think it was called Margate' That sums up Margate, it is declining fast,and TDC are speeding up the downfall of the town. Even Cafe Society will not survive, if there are no vistors etc and something for people to do.
ReplyDeleteTDC should be totally ashamed of itself, writing off 870,000 in rates, that was more than Birmingham City. This money could have been spent on helping our town centres etc. The Thanet Gazette was seeking public views on the above this week, one hopes that the their article will be very critical, as the public need to made aware how resources are being wasted.
ReplyDeleteThe town centre and Northdown Road should be pedestrianised with good free parking facilities nearby. Trade would boom.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how Cllr Ken Gregory points out only around 10 shops in Cliftonville are closed. That may well be true, but on the other hand, only so many of them can be re-opened as mortgage centres or charity shops (nothing against them as I use them all the time)...
ReplyDeleteAs I noted on my blog, EDJ Greengrocers has already moved to Nash Farm at Westwood this month and Albion Bookshop is to close later this year. The Polish shop closed last year and is still shut, so has the small bakery nearby (moved to Dane Valley as I recall). The shop next to Woolworths closed last year as well and I think is still empty. I would say 10 is being pretty optimistic.
Thanet council does very little for local business, which are vital to the local economy, and they employ many younger employees. The remaining busineses are suffering, lack of trade, parking charges etc. In Thanet, how many small busineses are for sale, have closed, or the owners are thinking of selling, or have even survived for a year, the findings would presumalbly be shameful. When Westwood goes in serious decline due to an ecomomic downturn, some of the big shops will pull the plug, what retailers will be left in Thanet, just Tescos, Sainsbury, Argos, Primark? It's time TDC focused on helping/keeping the current businesses here, rather than focusing on courting new business which will not happen in a economic downturn.
ReplyDeleteFurther to my last post, I had a wander down Northdown Road to ascertain the number of shops not in use yesterday. I counted around 25-30. 10-ish doesnt stretch that far. Perhaps you'd like to visit CLiftonville sometime Cllr?
ReplyDeleteI see a petition is doing the rounds along Northdown Road regarding parking charges.
Please also extend the petition to traders in the High St and College Square. The number of cars parking for example, in College Sq on the upper deck short term parking have declined, and the public comment they think the charges are too high, discouraging them to visit. Yet the lower level long term parking with all the free permit holders is busy as normal.
ReplyDeleteThere alot more than 10 shops empty in Northdown road, the council must be out of touch. There will be many more shops shut soon due the economic downturn, and the increased parking charges. The business rates collection has been increased by allowing the Tesco Metro, presumably this offsets the decline in shops. Business in the Old Town is not good and threatens any regeneration, and traders do not enjoy the grants that sponsor the many shops there housing art, community projects etc. Local small businesses need more support,and will need this with a downturn. TDC takes the momey from businesses and gives little value in return.
ReplyDeleteI agree there are many more than ten empty shops in Northdown Road, Margate High Street is just as bad.
ReplyDeleteSince the opening of Westwood Cross there has been a steady flow of businesses closing and this will just get worse unless Thanet Council change their policies now regarding shopkeepers high rates, unhelpful parking charges and breathe new life into these run down shopping areas.
Rates must be reduced to encourage new shops to open, and current businesses to survive. I'm not talking about the bigger kind of shops which have left for Westwood Cross never to return, but the smaller businesses which do not have such a large turnover.
As someone else pointed out there are an abundance of charity shops in Northdown Road purely because they have a large discount on rates, wouldn't it be better to see small book shops, craft shops, independant clothes and shoe shops, candle shops, alternative therapy shops, curiosity shops, small art galleries,..you get the picture.
as a kid i and a family of four used to go to westgate every year and to walk round the coastal way to margate wqas an absolute highlight of our holiday thenn when mum said we were going to dreamland for the evening was just the best feeling ever so to see it now just breaks my heart 1970s and 80s were just awesome lets hope that a millionaire with sense buys it up and replicas a chessington or thorpe park and bring margate back
ReplyDelete