TDC Thanet Matters Autumn 2007 - Thanet District Council

Action in theenvironmentEnvironmental action will be taken in carparks and on the main routes intoThanet over the next few months.The Council’s Environmental ActionProgramme will be refurbishingChandos Square car park inBroadstairs, with the bays re-surfacedand a new lighting scheme, beingdeveloped with Kent County Council.Repairs are being carried out to theAlbion Street car park and the VereRoad car park.The team will also be painting the lamppostsalong the main roads into Thanet,from Margate to Westgate, the Lord of theManor roundabout to Queen Street inRamsgate and along the Broadway inBroadstairs to Westwood Cross. Newboundary signs, welcoming people intoThanet, will also be installed on the A299Thanet Way and the A256 SandwichRoad.To report a problem, such as graffiti,dumped rubbish or broken street furniture,call the Streetline on 01843 577777.Rolling out more wheelie bins intoBroadstairs and St. PetersMore wheeliesWheelie bins will be arriving at an extra5,000 homes in parts of Broadstairs andSt. Peters.They’re joining the scheme in October,which has already seen recycling ratesshoot up by 7% to 26% in other parts ofThanet. Homes will have two wheeliebins, one with a blue lid for recyclingplastic bottles, tins, cans, paper,cardboard and tin foil and a black liddedbin for household waste that can’t berecycled, such as food waste andnappies.Eventually, all homes that are suitablefor wheelie bins in Thanet will be gettingthem, with all other properties remainingon a weekly black bag collection.For more information on waste andrecycling, call 01843 577115.Broadstairs Community CentrePlans have been developed for a newcommunity centre for Broadstairs, andan application to the Big Lottery Fundhas been made.Designed to be the new home for AgeConcern and the BroadstairsCommunity Centre Trust, the newbuilding will offer a high qualitycommunity facility that could be used bya range of local organisations andindividuals who want to book it.© TDCThe new building, which will replace thecurrent Park Hall and Age Concernbuildings, will form a courtyard withPierremont Hall. It will include a sportshall, stage area, small café and aselection of meeting rooms. The newplans have been developed with theimprovement of the park environment inmind, and will ensure that the park’shistoric trees are protected.For more information, call 01843 577182.The new community centre will form a courtyard with Pierremont Hall

Keep it secureSome of the most important documentsyou have are ones about your identity,such as passports and birth andmarriage certificates, so if you need tosend them into the Council, be sure tokeep them safe.If you need to post importantdocuments, please make sure you sendthem by a secure method, such asRoyal Mail, Recorded Delivery or asimilar service. Alternatively, you maywish to hand deliver your documents toour Cecil Street Offices, Margate or YorkStreet Offices, Ramsgate duringopening hours.© TDCLEAP forwardDo you wish you had more confidenceor that you could learn new skills?Then LEAP, Learning, Enabling andProgressing, is for you. You’ll get help toput together a plan to reach your goalsand will be able to try taster sessions insubjects like arts and crafts, using theinternet, introduction to counselling andgenealogy.LEAP is free and is open to anyone over16. The programme is run byAmicusHorizon Group and is funded bythe Learning and Skills Council throughthe European Social Fund.To find out more, please contact RossBell on 01795 436409 or 07733 104765.Could you care?Ever thought about fostering oradoption? Kent County Council fostercarers and adopters can be from allwalks of life, single, married or livingwith a partner, either with or withoutchildren. They need to be healthy, havea real interest in helping children and beable to offer a child a stable, secure lifein a loving family.Fostering is caring for children who areunable to live with their families. Peoplewho foster are as varied as the childrenthey look after, but they all have a realdesire to change a child’s life for thebetter.A range of benefits are on offer, includingfinancial rewards and comprehensivetraining, along with supervision andprofessional support from a specialistsocial worker.A significant number of children in Kentalso need adoptive families. Parenting anadopted child is different to parenting aA sing and sign course for toddlers at SPRATS (St. Peter’s Rascals, Adultsand Toddlers) - one of the recipients of the grantsCash for the communityFunding is available from the ThanetLocal Strategic Partnership (LSP) tosupport local groups which help to makea real difference in the community.Grants of up to £1,000 from theCommunity Chest are being awardedon a first come first served basis, so ifyour group is interested apply as soonas possible to be in with a chance.Thanks to donations by localcompanies, including Morgan JonesRecruitment, Fire Technology, Heli-Charter, Summit Aviation, Pfizer,Envirodri and Cummins, plus the Round© KCCbirth child, as adoptive parents needextra knowledge and preparation to helpa child understand their past. Manychildren need an adoptive family who canhelp them with their special educationalor health needs. All of them need a familyTable, Thanet District Council and theEast Kent Partnership, the LSP’sCommunity Chest makes grant fundingavailable to Thanet’s voluntary andcommunity groups.If you think your local group has adeserving cause and you would likemore information or an application pack,please contact Susan Follows on( 0 1 8 4 3 ) 2 8 2 4 7 0 o r e m a i ls u s a n . f o l l o w s @ t c d c . o r g . u k .Remember, applications are dealt withon a first come first served basis.forever to help them cope with the pastand live life to the full in the future.To find out more, call 0845 330 2968 orvisit www.kentfostering.com orwww.kentadoption.comAutumn 2007 | 3

Youth Matters to Thanet DistrictCouncil – that’s the message toyoung people and the Council hasbeen proving that over thesummer.D u r i n g t h e s c h o o lholidays, young peoplehad more than 600 eventsto pick from during SummerBlast, which included activitiesorganised by a number oforganisations, including theCouncil, and coordinated by theEngaging Youth Forum.From a summer surf school to ab i g b a n d w o r k s h o p , f r o ms e a s h o r e s a f a r i s a n d r i f l eshootings, there was somethingfor everyone aged between 11 and19 over the summer. And therewas no excuse for not knowingabout what was happening, as theCouncil and the Engaging YouthF o r u m j o i n e d u p w i t h O i !magazine to promote everythingthat was going on in their packedsummer edition.At many of those events, Councilstaff were out and about, askingyoung people what they think oflife in Thanet. The shortsurvey covered likes,dislikes and whatthey would like tosee improved in thearea in the future.The feedback will be used tocreate the 'East Kent YouthStrategy', a document that willaddress the priorities of youngpeople in Thanet. This strategywill form an action plan thatThanet District Council and otheryouth organisations will follow tohelp improve life for young peoplein Thanet.4 | Autumn 2007Trying out the surf simulation at Life’s A Beach

© TDC© TDCThis summer’s events were publicised in Oi! magazine,produced by pupils at the Marlowe AcademyGetting young people’s views as part ofthe Council’s Youth Matters surveyAutumn 2007 | 5

Six steps forward for ThanetFrom our beaches and parks to yourrubbish collection, from streetcleaning to sports and leisure andproviding decent housing, these areall things that Thanet District Councilis responsible for.The Council deals with literallyhundreds of things that impact on yourlife and we also work with otherorganisations to help deliver evenmore things. For example, the Councilis part of the Thanet CommunitySafety Partnership, which aims tomake the area a safer place to liveand work.Every four years, the Council setsout its plan of work, so that localpeople know what to expect from us.The Corporate Plan has six keythemes, which residents helped todevelop by telling us what mattered tothem. The themes are Thanet’sEconomy, Safe Neighbourhoods,Beautiful Thanet, Quality Housing,Healthy Communities and ModernCouncil and you can see examples ofthe work that’s being done under eachof those themes in this issue of ThanetMatters.Our CCTV team are helping to makepeople feel safer on the streets ofThanet, while work in the RenewalArea is helping to provide betterquality housing.It’s important that you know whatyour Council is working to provide foryou over the next four years and onthese pages, we’ve listed some of thepriorities set out under each of thethemes in the Corporate Plan. There’stoo much going on to fit in here, so thisisn’t a full list. The full plan is availablefrom www.thanet.gov.uk or by calling01843 577000 and to discuss thedetail of the plan, call the CorporateProjects and Improvements team on01843 577192.The Council’s commitments in the Corporate Plan include thefollowing actions:Thanet’s Economy• Support at least 20 public events each year, including thePowerboat Grand Prix, Broadstairs Folk Week and the MargateBig Event.• Maintain Blue Flags for seven of Thanet’s beaches• Improve 215 listed buildings in the Ramsgate TownscapeHeritage area• Promote a café culture• Secure planning permission to redevelop the former Marks andSpencer building• Support the Margate Theatre Royal Trust to prepare a HeritageLottery bid for the theatre.• Work with the owners of the Dreamland and Arlington Square toagree plans for regenerating the site.© TDC/Valerie CameronSafe Neighbourhoods• Introduce Community Wardens and Police Community SupportOfficers in the evening and at night-time.• Extend CCTV coverage• Develop diversionary activities for young people with the YouthOffending Service.• Reduce levels of criminal damage in Thanet by 4% year on yearuntil 2011.• Use dispersal orders to prevent anti-social behaviour.© TDC/Valerie Cameron6 | Autumn 2007

Beautiful Thanet• Increase recycling levels to 40% by 2011.• Improve street cleaning standards year on year.• Increase enforcement action on problems such as dog fouling,litter and rubbish to a minimum of 200 actions in 2007/08 and 300actions in the following years.• Reduce the Council’s energy consumption by 10% by 2010.• Provide secure cycle parking at all railway stations and towncentres.• Develop a “Gold Flag” standard for town centres, agreed byresidents and businesses.© TDCQuality Housing• Develop 200 new affordable homes through planningagreements, with 70% available for affordable rent.• Bring 30 empty properties back into use.• Extend the Housing Renewal programme to appropriate areas ofMargate Central and Cliftonville West by 2008.• Promote initiatives and investment to tackle fuel poverty forpeople on low incomes or living in poor quality housing.• Reduce the number of households living in temporaryaccommodation.• Develop supplementary planning guidance to discourage theconversion of large properties to smaller units and resist the lossof gardens to development.© TDCHealthy Communities• Complete the Marlowe Athletics track.• Improve and develop play areas in Margate and Ramsgate.• Improve our swimming pools and leisure facilities.• Consult on and deliver a Youth Strategy.• Consult older people on their priorities.• Fund the provision of out of school activities for children andyoung people at Easter and in the summer holidays.• Improve facilities and security at allotment sites.© Visit BritainModern Council• Open Thanet's Gateway Plus in Margate (see page 10 for moredetails)• Extend council services to Ramsgate, using the new library.• Develop and publish a “People’s Charter”, setting out the servicestandards that the Council will deliver.• Increase customer satisfaction with the Council.• Achieve 3% cash savings year on year.• Implement a complaints logging and response system.© TDCAugust 2007 | 7

Reviving the Theatre RoyalA rich and varied season with somethingfor everyone. That’s the promise fromthe team running the Theatre RoyalMargate, as it prepares to re-open itsdoors for the Autumn Season.A lot’s happened to the theatre thisyear. When the theatre was saved byThanet District Council in the spring in apurchase paid for by the Safer StrongerCommunities Fund, the move clearedthe Theatre’s debts. It was also part of anew funding package, with the theatrereceiving more than £200,000 in grantsthis year, more than ever before.Now, following a summer closure foressential building works, the Theatre isThe beautiful interior ceiling of the theatrere-opening, with an exciting relaunch‘Gala’ night on 29 September.The theatre is also launching theTheatre Royal Actors Company with aprofessionally supported production ofThe Odyssey, written and directed byArtistic Director Will Wollen, with musicby ex-Flying Picket Paul Kissaun.Anyone interested in joining the newcompany, which welcomes membersbetween 11 and 100, should contact thetheatre.As well as hosting some of the eventsfor the Canterbury Festival, Ade Morris'new play from the award-winningWatermill Theatre, The Story of a GreatMargate’s historic Theatre Royal isre-opening to the public this autumnLady, will be coming to the theatre, aswill From Here To Maturity, a dancecompany made up of lead dancers fromsome of the top British dancecompanies, aged between 45 and 75.The popular Comedy Club will returnand during the half term, there will be aseries of daytime shows speciallydesigned for family audiences,including Michael Morpurgo's "Aesop'sFables" and world-renowned clownFraser Hooper with his brand new show.Internationally celebrated ForkbeardFantasy will be at the theatre for onenight only on their international tour withtheir unique fusion of film and theatre.Looking ahead to Christmas, SleepingBeauty will be making its home at theTheatre Royal over Christmas.It’s not all professional productionsthough. The Theatre is looking foranyone interested in taking part in youththeatre, community projects or beingpart of their volunteers’ programme.To get involved, call 01843 293397 ore-mail will@theatreroyalmargate.co.ukTheatre Royal autumn highlightsSat 29 SeptTheatre Royal relaunch gala, an evening of entertainment, fun andcelebration. Tickets £15.Thurs 4 – Sat 6 OctThe Odyssey, the Theatre Royal’s opening community show looks atmyths, legend and lies. Tickets £8 / £6 concessions.Thurs 18 OctComedy Club. £10 – over 18’s only.Mon 22 OctFunny Business starring Fraser Hooper, one of the best clowns in thebusiness. Tickets £7.50 / £6 children / £21 family ticket for four people.Tues 23 – Wed 24 OctStory of a Great Lady by Ade Morris. Tickets £12, £7,50 for under 16’s.Thurs 4 – Sat 6 Oct8 | Autumn 2007

Canterbury FestivalSat 13 – Sun 14 OctKentish Tales – the Really Promising Company, showcasing original songsand scenes written and performed by Canterbury’s newest theatrecompany. Tickets £12 / £10.Wed 17 OctI Capuleti and I Montecchi (Romeo and Juliet), Pimlico Opera. Tickets £15.Fri 19 OctOn the Stage and off - A Brief Career of a Would-Be Actor by Jerome K.Jerome, looking at the career of Rodney Bewes. Tickets £12.Sat 20 OctSnow White by Rudolf Nureyev Russian State Ballet Academy. Tickets £15and £8 children.For more information visit www.canterburyfestival.co.ukSat 13 – Sun 14 OctThurs 25 OctAesop’s Fables by Michael Morpurgo. Scamp Theatre presents the BristolOld Vic Production. Tickets £7.50, £6 children, £21 family ticket.Sat 27 OctHallowe’en screening – 2 Days Later short film competition, Beeping Bushproductions in partnership with Close-Up Film. For times and tickets visitwww.2dayslater.co.ukMon 29 OctInvisible Bonfires – Forkbeard Fantasy makes its first visit to Thanet.Tickets £14 & £12.Wed 31 OctWalk with the Dead at 7pm, 9pm and 11pm with Will Wollen. A spine chillingwalk around the spookiest streets and buildings in Margate, starting andfinishing at the Theatre Royal. Tickets £8.50 & £7.50Fri 2 NovFrom Here to Maturity Dance Company. Tickets £14 & £12.Sun 4 NovA Laugh a Minute with Nicholas Parsons. £15 & £13.Fri 16 NovComedy Club. Tickets £10.Sat 17 NovPriorité à Gauche, two French rock, rap, pop and roll stars with a uniquesound. Tickets £10.Thurs 22 – Sat 24 NovRelative Values by Noel Coward – Broadstairs Dickens Players. Tickets £9.Thurs 29 NovA Little of What You Fancy – Miss Helen Watson and Friends, bringing amixture of Music Hall, Vaudeville, Variety and Modern Musicals, featuringartists from the West End. Tickets £10.Thurs 6 – Sun 30 DecSleeping Beauty – a traditional family pantomime. Tickets from £7.50 to£17.50, with family tickets available.Tickets for all performances are available by calling the Box Office on 01227787787 or on the door an hour before the shows.Wed 17 OctMon 22 OctSun 4 NovSat 17 NovFri 19 OctTues 23 –Wed 24 OctAugust 2007 | 9

Sat 15 – Sun 16 SeptMini Golf British Open at StrokesAdventure Golf, Westbrook.294970.Sun 16 SeptMargate Day – celebrating the 150thanniversary of Margate’s Charter. Aspectacle of light and sound.Margate Town Partnership 297350.Sat 22 – Sun 23 SeptBig Sky International Kite Festival atPalm Bay with kite flyers fromaround the world. 297350.© MTPSat 22 SeptPegwell Bay Beach Clean, 2pm.Meet on the beach below the formerhoverport access road.Sun 23 SeptColdharbour Beach Clean, 2pm.Meet outside the Minnis restaurant,Birchington.A new gateway in MargateIf you’ve walked past Margate libraryrecently, you’ve probably wonderedwhat’s going on behind the boards.The work is two fold – to modernisethe library and deliver faster accessto Thanet District Council’s and KentCounty Council’s services. Fromearly next year, you’ll be able toaccess all council services includingHousing Benefit, Council Taxenquiries, planning and licencing inthe library building, which will beknown as Thanet’s Gateway Plus.The aim is to cut the queues forcustomers and if you’ve got morethan one enquiry, the same personwill be able to deal with them for you.10 | Autumn 2007Tues 16 OctWorld Food Day at the WinterGardens, 10.30am - 3.30pm. Africandrumming, arts and crafts, deliciousfood tastings and much more.Tues 6 NovMoonlighting Inns of Thanet, 7pm,Walpole Bay Hotel. Smugglingexpert John Graham talks about sixnotorious smuggling pubs. £2 perperson. Free to Thanet CoastalWardens. 577672© TDC/Valerie CameronSat 17 NovRock Doc Walk – Minnis Bay, 11am.Meet by Tidal Pool. Book atwww.thanetcoast.org.ukSat 24 – Sun 25 NovAnnual Model Railway Exhibition,St. George’s School, Broadstairs.07803 229235.Fri 30 NovChristmas lights switch on inMargate. 297350.As part of the modernisation, fullyaccessible customer toilets withbaby changing facilities will beadded, along with four interviewrooms, where people can meetCouncil officers or library staff. ACitizens Advice Bureau kiosk willalso be installed in the building, sopeople can get answers tofrequently asked questions.The project is being jointly run byThanet District Council and KentCounty Council.For more details about the project,call 01843 577112.BeachwatchO r g a n i s e d b y t h e M a r i n eConservation Society, this is anationwide beach clean and littersurvey:Sat 15 Sept• Pegwell Bay, 10am. Meet on thebeach below the former hoverportaccess road.• St. Mildred’s Bay, 10am. Meetnext to Pav’s Café.• Margate, 10am. Meet next to thebeach café.Sun 16 Sept• Plumpudding,10am. Meet outsidethe Minnis Restaurant, Birchington.• Walpole Bay, 10am. Meet close tothe tidal pool.Coastal WeekThis October half term, there’ll be acelebration of Kent’s coast, with aprogramme of events as part ofKent’s Coastal Week, led by theThanet Coast Project.For more information log ontowww.thanetcoast.org.uk or call577672.Sat 20 OctThanet Coast 4th Big Draw, creatingthis year’s largest marine sandsculpture on Viking Bay. 10am.Sun 21 OctRocky Shore Discovery Tour, 2pm atthe Walpole Bay Tidal Pool,Cliftonville.Thurs 25 OctRock Doc Walk, Pegwell Bay, 11am.

Look around Thanet at the changesin buildings and the chances are thatthey will have come through ThanetD i s t r i c t C o u n c i l ’s p l a n n i n gdepartment.Each year, they handle around1,500 applications and at any onetime, an individual planning officer,like Iain Livingstone, who coversBroadstairs and Ramsgate, couldbe dealing with 40 differentapplications.He visits each site and notifiesneighbouring properties, Parish orTown Councils and Kent Highways.If the application is within aConservation Area, he also notifiesthe Council’s conservation officers.The vast majority of applications arefor house extensions, roofalterations or to put up new signs orshop fronts for businesses.For anyone who’s thinking ofcarrying out work to their home orbusiness, the message is simple. “Ify o u ’ v e g o t a n i d e a a b o u tdevelopment, then get in touch withthe Council. We can offer preapplicationguidance free of chargeto help iron out any problems before© TDCIain Livingstone discusses plans with a colleaguean application is submitted,” saysIain.Officers decide about 80% of theapplications that come in, with theremainder going to the Council’sPlanning Committee. But what areofficers looking for when they makea decision about an application? AsIain explains, it usually falls into acouple of categories. “We look atwhether the development fits in withthe area, the effect on otherproperties, such as overlooking, andwe take into account the views ofeveryone we talk to.”For Iain, it’s a job he really enjoys.“It interests me that, no matter howminor the application is, we’rechanging the built environment ofThanet and hopefully for the better.”• Once an application is submitted, an answer is usually givenwithin eight or 13 weeks, depending on the type of application.• People usually deal with the same Council officer during the wholeprocess.• All applications are available to view at the Council Offices or atwww.ukplanning.com/thanet.• A minimum of 21 days is given for the public to make comments onan application.© TDC© TDC© TDCOne of the major new developmentsin Thanet in recent years has beenthe Royal Sea Bathing Hospital sitein MargateThe stunning architecture at theMarlowe Academy in Ramsgate hasbeen another recent addition in ThanetPart of the planning team’s work isprotecting the look of existingbuildings in towns like BroadstairsAugust 2007 | 11

Renewal GrantsDo you live in the Cliftonville Westward? Did you know you might beeligible for a grant of up to £2,000towards improving your property?If you would like further details andan application pack then contactDave Farmer or Lesley Dalton on0 1 8 4 3 5 7 7 7 4 8 o r v i s i twww.thanet.gov.uk and follow thelink to Renewal Area under the A-Zof Services.The difference a Renewal Area grant can make. A property in Dalby Square before the work...© TDCBlueprint for a bright futureThe Margate Renewal Partnershiphas reached another majormilestone with the production of ablueprint for the town.The document, the Frameworkand Implementation Plan, pullstogether a range of initiatives andsets out the critical activity over thenext 12 months to deliver thePartnership’s vision.... and afterwardsThe funding associated with the 18core projects totals over £36million,which is being invested in the areaover the next three years. Projectsi n c l u d e s u p p o r t i n g k e ydevelopments such as Dreamland,Turner Contemporary, the HarbourArm, establishing the CreativeQuarter in the Old Town andinvesting in the public areas toimprove key areas including theHigh Street and Seafront.For further information on theMargate Renewal Partnership or toobtain a copy of the plan, visitwww.margaterenewal.co.ukThe Harbour Arm and Old Town are the key developments being worked on by the Margate Renewal PartnershipSafer Stronger Communities FundMuch of the money from the SaferStronger Communities Fund (SSCF)has been awarded across 35 differentprojects.The SSCF is aiming to improve thequality of life for residents in MargateCentral and Cliftonville West wards.• Recycling bins along the Margateand Cliftonville coastline• Two new minibuses for theThanet Community TransportAssociation to help people andcommunity groups in the area getout and aboutSome of the projects paid for by theSSCF - a graffiti removal machine, newminibus and a kwik cricket tournamentin Dane Park12 | Autumn 2007Over 50 applications for SSCF fundshave been received from communitygroups, organisations, public sector,service providers and schools, withsome of the cash going into:• Dedicated vehicle and voluntaryteam of detached youth workersfor Hang 10 to work in the area• Improvements to Dane Park• A pond at Cliftonville PrimarySchool• Kwik cricket in Dane Park• Graffiti machine operated byCommunity Service offenders,managed by the ProbationServiceTo find out more and to request anapplication pack contact the SSCFteam on 01843 577534, emailsscf@thanet.gov.uk or visitwww.thanet.gov.uk and follow the linkto SSCF under A-Z of Services.

Watching your safetyFor the last decade, the cameras ofThanet District Council’s CCTVsystem have kept a reassuringwatching eye over people.In that time, CCTV has instigatedan average of 30 arrests a monthand has assisted the police with anaverage of 300 more each year.That’s led to two commendationsfrom the police for the team, whobetween them, ensure that thesystem is monitored 24 hours a day,seven days a week. In fact, it’snever closed in the 10 years it’sbeen operating.Covering the three main towns,some of the outlying areas ofT h a n e t a n d t h e C o u n c i l ’ stowerblocks, the 84 CCTV camerashave helped to catch criminals in anumber of different ways, from thepeople involved in a fight inBroadstairs, who were seenchanging their tops to try and evadeAdvertismentcapture to the thieves stealing leadfrom roofs in Ramsgate, who werestopped after being seen actingsuspiciously. Perhaps the mostserious crime that CCTV evidencehelped with was a rape in analleyway in Cliftonville.For Community Safety Officer PhilSnook, the system has manybenefits. “It gives the police a betterchance of catching those whocommit crime and it’s a good way ofhelping the public to feel safer outThe CCTV control room, where imagesare monitored at all timesNew Build Homebuy© Southern Housing GroupThe development in St. Lawrence Close© Southern Housing GroupInside one of the apartments© Southern Housing Group © TDC/Valerie CameronThis Government backed schemeaims to help first time buyers unableto raise enough money to afford aproperty outright on the openmarket, but it doesn’t stop there.As well as first time buyers,S o u t h e r n H o u s i n g H o m eOwnership can help those whohave suffered a relationshipbreakdown and lost their home. Ifthe existing home is sold and theprofit split, this may not be enoughThe apartments enjoy their owngarden areaon the streets of Thanet. If thepolice have someone in mind theywant to find, CCTV can help them todo that.”© TDC/Valerie CameronOne of Thanet’s CCTV cameras keeps awatching eye over the areato start again. It may be possible touse the profit or lump sum from thesale to purchase a share in a brandnew home through the Homebuyscheme and pay a subsidised rentand service charge on the sharethat isn’t owned.S o u t h e r n H o u s i n g H o m eOwnership currently have 4 x 1 bedapartments at the prestigious St.Lawrence Chase development inRamsgate. These are availablefrom £48,000 for a 40% share in ahome valued at £120,000, asubsidised rent is payable on theremaining 60% share, which meansyou could own one of theseapartments from as little as £565per month.For details of what SouthernHousing Home Ownership haveavailable call 01403 224524, e-mailsales@shho.org.uk or you can visitwww.shho.org.ukFor further information or to registerfor New Build Homebuy call 07002-6 6 2 8 4 6 o r v i s i twww.homebuy.co.ukAutumnt 2007 | 13

Shaping Margate’s dreamsDreamland – for many people, thename sums up Margate and it’shoped that will be the case again inthe future.The site, along with nearby ArlingtonSquare, is the focus of new planningguidance that’s been developed byThanet District Council and now theCouncil is looking for your views onit. Once it’s complete, the guidancewill be used to determine any futureplanning applications for the site.The brief proposes a mixed scheme,keeping the majority of the site,including the listed Dreamlandbuilding and Scenic Railway, as partof an amusement based destination,along with some other development,including residential. It sets out anumber of proposals for the area:• Refurbishment of the DreamlandCinema building for leisure uses thatcould include conference facilities.• Keeping the Scenic Railway.• An amusement park on theexisting park area around the ScenicRailway.• Bars, restaurants and specialistshops within the park.• Provision of a 250 space publiccar park.• A s s o c i a t e d e n a b l i n gdevelopment, including a mix offamily homes and apartments.• The development will be phasedto ensure an amusement parkoperates before, during and after thedevelopment.To have your say, log on towww.thanet.gov.uk or pick up asurvey from Council offices or locallibraries. You can also come along toone of our drop in sessions to viewthe plans on Monday 10 Septemberand Wednesday 17 October at theCouncil Offices in Cecil Street,Margate.Most people wanted to see more structuredactivities, like these, put on for teenagers.14 | Autumn 2007Community MattersIndoor and outdoor leisure, parksand open spaces and activities forteenagers – just some of the issuesthat the Residents’ Panel have beengiving their views on recently.The Community Matters surveyresults showed that 54% ofrespondents took part in swimmingand a fifth had visited sport halls inthe last year, although 29% had nottaken part in any indoor leisureactivity. Heading outside, the mostpopular activity was walking orjogging for 64% of people, with fieldsports only favoured by 19%.Looking at the area’s parks, twothirds of people go there to enjoy theopen air, while 57% use them forwalking or running and 26% go touse the play areas. In terms ofimproving them, 40% would likemore seating to be provided.Nearly 80% of people said theywould be willing to supportstructured activities for teenagers intheir neighbourhood, while 75%would support local multi purposegames areas and 71% liked the ideaof teen shelters and teen friendlyareas.To view the full results andsummary of Council actions pleasevisit www.thanet.gov.uk. For moreinformation on how to joinCommunity Matters you can visit thewebsite, call 01843 577120 or emailhannah.thorpe@thanet.gov.ukSurvey results show around 20% of peoplehad visited a sports hall in the last year

Get in theswim resultsLocal people have given a clearmessage about the swimming poolprovision they want to see in thefuture.More than 1,110 questionnaireswere returned as part of the “Get inthe Swim” consultation earlier thisyear and of those, more than 70%made it clear that they wanted toretain two pools in Thanet.The full results were asfollows:Which of these options would you be most in favour of?Option 1 – rebuild / refurbish the existing sites 31%Option 2 – rebuild Ramsgate Swimming Pool next to the RamsgateSports Centre and refurbish Hartsdown Leisure Centre 41%Option 3 – develop a new facility adjacent to the Marlowe Academysite 28%In terms of facilities on offer, what is the first, second and thirdpriority for a public swimming pool in the future?1 - A clearly defined swimming area 54%2 - A teaching / shallow pool for children 24%3 - A leisure pool with slides, water fountains and water machines 20%How easy is it to access Hartsdown Leisure Centre, the MarloweAcademy site, Ramsgate Sports Centre and Ramsgate SwimmingPool by car and by public transport?91% of people thought that the Ramsgate Swimming Pool was easilyaccessible by car and 90% thought the same of Hartsdown, whereas only66% felt the Marlowe Academy site was easily accessible.When it came to public transport, 65% of people thought RamsgateSwimming Pool was easily accessible, but only 34% said the same thingabout the Marlowe Academy site.A separate survey was carried out amongst all 48 secondary, junior, infantand special needs schools in Thanet. This survey highlighted theimportance of children learning to swim, especially as all children have tobe able to swim 25 metres by the time they leave junior school. It alsoshowed that many of the schools in Thanet use the Council’s pools to dothis and schools felt that having a pool nearby was important, as it wouldhelp to minimise travel time and the cost of getting there.The results are being considered by Cabinet on 13 September and theCouncil's Overview and Scrutiny Panel has already recommended thatoption 2 should be chosen. If Cabinet agree, the next stage would bedetailed work on option 2 and once a design has been produced, localpeople will be able to have their say on it.Autumn 2007 | 15

Council Meetings all begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise statedDAYTuesday 11 SeptemberThursday 13 SeptemberWednesday 19 SeptemberThursday 20 SeptemberTuesday 2 OctoberTuesday 9 OctoberWednesday 17 OctoberThursday 1 NovemberTuesday 13 NovemberTuesday 13 NovemberWednesday 21 NovemberTuesday 11 DecemberTuesday 11 DecemberTuesday 11 DecemberMEETINGLicensing Board – starts at 10amCabinetPlanning CommitteeCouncilOverview and Scrutiny PanelLicensing Board – starts at 10amPlanning CommitteeCabinetLicensing Board – starts at 10amOverview and Scrutiny PanelPlanning CommitteeLicensing Board – starts at 10amCabinet (Budget Proposals)Overview and Scrutiny PanelParish and Town Council clerksBroadstairs and St.Peter’s Town CouncilMr. R. Dexter MBATown Clerk’s OfficePierremont HallBroadstairsCT10 1JX01843 868718town.clerk@broadstairs.gov.ukAcol Parish CouncilMr. Roy Wade1 Gore Street FarmCottagesGore StreetMonktonCT12 4LL01843 821110Birchington ParishCouncilMrs. C. ColemanThe Oast House135 Margate RoadBroomfieldHerne BayCT6 7AB01227 742822Cliffsend ParishCouncilMs Margaret McArdle16 Cliffsend GroveCliffsendRamsgateKentCT12 5JTManston ParishCouncilMrs. Audrey Twyman01843 597069manstonparishcouncil@fsmail.netwww.manstonpckentparishes.gov.ukMinster Parish CouncilMrs. Michaela LambParish Office: MinsterLibrary andNeighbourhood Centre4a Monkton RoadMinsterCT12 4EA01843 821339minsterpc@tiscali.co.ukMonkton ParishCouncilclerk@monktonpc.kentparishes.gov.ukSt. Nicholas-at-Wadeand Sarre ParishCouncilMrs. J. Francis7 Kent GardensBirchingtonThanet FairtradeupdateThe profile of Fairtrade and LocalProduce has risen considerablywithin Thanet over the last year and ahalf, especially with the recent awardto Thanet District Council, who won“Best contribution by a Council” atthis year’s Fairtrade Fortnightawards.With Fairtrade products nowavailable in over 40 local shops,supermarkets, restaurants and cafés,and in over 40 local workplaces,community organisations and faithgroups, and with other goalscompleted, we feel confident thatThanet can apply for Fairtrade Islandstatus by the end of 2007.If you would like to make your school,workplace, church or communitygroup Fairtrade, then please visit ourwebsite and leave us a message, andwe’ll get back to you.Don’t forget World Food Day at theWinter Gardens on Tuesday 16October between 10.30am and3.30pm. Make sure you come alongfor a fantastic day of Africandrumming, arts and crafts, deliciousfood tastings and much more.Tammy Stewart-Jones,C h a i r m a n T h a n e tFairtrade InitiativeFor more informationp l e a s e c o n t a c tjoseph.dance@thanet.gov.uk, or visit our website atwww.thanetfairtrade.org.ukFairtrade is everywhere - withthe Council now only servingFairtrade coffee for its meetingsAAIf you would like a copy of this document in Braille, audio, large print, orin other formats please call 01843 577165.16 | Autumn 2007Editor: Cheryl PendryReports: Cheryl Pendry, Hannah ThorpeProduced by Thanet District Council’sCorporate Communications andMarketing team