MTCRC - CPO Objection - Their plans for the site

[DaveD]

Bob, I respect any opinion, even yours but to say that "Margate is in need of affordable housing" - are you insane?

Margate has some of the cheapest property prices in not only Kent, but the whole of Southern England - there is absolutely no need whatsover and even less so now because people just aren't buying at the moment and that will continue to be the case for a fair few years to come.

I have no real objection to Tesco but the locality for the store is ridiculous - Margate is trying to revive it's tourist industry with the Turner, the Old Town and Dreamland itself; many thousands of people do and will arrive by train and the very first thing they see when leaving the station is a Tescos? It's the same narrow-minded, short-sighted, pathetic drivel that seems to be pumped Margate's way.

That area used to host Radio 1 Roadshows in the past such was the importance of the locality of the train station - i'm not saying Margate enjoys the millions of visitors it once did in comparision but the importance of people's first impressions of the town should be paramount to the importance of it's regeneration.

I doubt it that Bob will reply to my post, not that he normally does when he faces a barrage of common sense. I thought we had seen the end of him after the £3 million quid but it won't be long before he has no case to answer and can disappear into the sunset with messrs Hunter and Godden to start modelling for those Penis Enhancement Surgery "before" pictures they have been discussing.



DD

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Well said.

Bob's obviously unemployed with nothing better to do than troll negativity around.
You'd think he'd know better than anyone how bad the economy is and how poor the job situation is.
Not that he's looking. I'm sure he's happy as a clam on the dole.

[RICO]

I think Michael Collins is missing something........."hard data".

Hopefully this won't slow down the inevitable.

[kapuscinski]

I have been sitting at the cpo all last week, listening very carefully, my conclusion is that the underground vintage ride simulator that Godden and his crew plan to site in Dreamland is a non starter, Southend have just pulled thiers off as a non making money venture, the extra site at All saints ave, where kando is, which they want to set up workshops will mean a loss of over 75 jobs, the bottom line is Godden wants to build 447 flats, we in Thanet do NOT have a shortage of building land, we have enough building plots to last us 8 years, Westwood cross is now going into phases, first phase starts building in 2016 and is for only 200 homes, this is because we live in a poverty stricken area with very low wages and the residents of Thanet cannot afford mortgages, eg nurses. which means builders and developers are putting building on the back burner, currently there are 80 vacant flats on the site that borders dreamland and tivoli, they just cant be shifted, if you drive past them they are filled with social rented people. so, to summarise Margate does not need extra flats!!!!!! The experts on Godden's side are rubbishing Dreamland's trust's proposals, but it turns out The "experts" sold their amusment park in 1983, have not run a amusment centre since then, and are still in conflict with Barry Isle council where they want to build flats. so this piece of large land is as derelict as Dreamland, Unless you get the contract to carpet 447 flats, it is a non starter for the people of Margate.
Margate is a tourist attraction, in the coming years as air travel tax bites deep, the pound exchange rate is poor, wages are frozen, families lose homes and jobs, a seaside destination becomes very popular, so Margate, Thanet cannot lose Dreamland, we will not lose Dreamland, it will flourish and prosper, and no we cannot take on thorpe park, Dreamland will be free entry and a very diffrent kettle of fish, the people behind Dreamland are not Eco warriors or shoutie shoutie listen to me I know best types!, they are proffessional, inteligent, well educated, and have worked on the Drealmand project, day in day out for the past 5 years, it is only now the council has got behind them [at long last], there are fantastic examples of councillers of helping, one stands a hairs breadth above the others, and that is will scobie, [for your info i do not do political colours, I judge a man by and his character of actualy helping thanet and not sticking to some stupid political colour, be it red, blue pink, brown, yellow, green etc, too many times in the past our representatives only represented the colour and themselves, and got rich by doing so, and to slightly turn the subject, lets release the "pink" papers over the old town buildings, this amounts to million's of our pounds going to very few businessmen, who have disapeared.

[Peet]

Many thanks for that insight, lots of interesting points that I wasn't aware of.

[Zoidstar]

the underground vintage ride simulator that Godden and his crew plan to site in Dreamland is a non starter, Southend have just pulled thiers off as a non making money venture, .

What simulator are you talking about can't picture it in Southend.

[kapuscinski]

Southend had a simulator like the ones you see in town centre shops, Goddens one wants to be underground, which is in the old swamp, OK you can tank it to make it waterproof, but it is in a high risk flood area, the new sea defences being built at Margate are to protect the old town, not marine terrace/Dreamland area.

[porterm]

Hi all

I might well try to get down to the CPO Council meeting this Thursday as I have that day off. Just wondered if anyone else here was able to join me.

Martin Porter

[Zoidstar]

Southend had a simulator like the ones you see in town centre shops, Goddens one wants to be underground, which is in the old swamp, OK you can tank it to make it waterproof, but it is in a high risk flood area, the new sea defences being built at Margate are to protect the old town, not marine terrace/Dreamland area.

Just can't picture where the Southend one was, been living in Southend since 1975 I just cant remember it.

Are there any pictures of either the Southend one or the Margate one, might help clear the foggy brian.

[vann98]

Still not sure what exactly this simulator is and how it is predicted to attract so many guests?

I have been following the Dreamland inquiry updates on the TDC site and I still cant understand why they think the Scenic would look "fine" surrounded by a border of residential houses. Surely the closer houses are to the park, the closer it is to vandalism and arson attacks. I do not quite understand what security measures would be put in place to protect the park if the MTCRC plans were to take place. Their plans just don't seem to add up.

The only real downside I can see for the trust/councils proposal is the fact that not all of the historic assets will be restored at once. But other than that; there really does not seem to be any real obstacles for the heritage park proposals to go ahead.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

I wonder if it could simulate Bob doing something worthwhile?

[EAS]

Article in today's Architect's Journal. There are pictures too, but it's all behind a Paywall. Here's the text.

Usual stuff, vibrant hub etc.
Doesn't sound what Margate needs at all, nor the listed structures.

Assael reveals home-led rival to council-backed Dreamland plans

9 February, 2012 | By Richard Waite

Assael Architecture has unveiled its vision for Margate’s Dreamland site as the battle continues with Thanet District Council over the future of the former fun park

The images have been released on behalf of the site’s current owners, the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company (MTCRC), as a public inquiry rumbles on into whether the authority can compulsory purchase the land and create an amusement park of historical rides.

Assael’s £20 million scheme for MTCRC includes 474 homes built around ‘a vibrant cultural and amusement hub’ made up of the existing listed structures, many of which date back to 1920.

The practice is the fifth to be appointed - previous firms to have worked on regeneration plans include Levitt Bernstein (AJ 17.11.09) - and the only one to propose protecting and reusing the Grade-II* listed cinema and scenic railway as part of a low-density housing scheme.

The cinema will be converted into a cultural and artistic hub, renamed Dreamland Studios, and will feature ‘reversible interventions’ while preserving the organ, circular staircase and first floor rooms at the front. The rest of the complex would be adapted to house an art gallery, recording studios, a radio shack, artists’ studios, a performance space, a café, a conference and events space as well as accommodation for artists.

In 2005, the controlling ownership of Dreamland passed to MTCRC which is objecting to the compulsory purchase order. The company is joined in its battle against the authority by the Close Brothers bank, which is owed £6 million from mortgages on the site and is understood to be willing to lend MTCRC at least half of the estimated £20 million development costs.

Last year the Heritage Lottery Fund granted £3 million to the Dreamland Trust as part of its bid to re-open the historic attraction. The campaign group has also been promised £4 million from Thanet District Council.

A final decision on the planning inquiry is expected to be made by the secretary of state in June.

Margate’s Dreamland cinema

Architect’s view: The Assael vision

Around 50 per cent of the site area will consist of the ‘Dreamland Park’, offering a number of features such as a secure Scenic and Heritage rides area, carefully designed with level changes to provide security without giving the impression of exclusion. There is also a large landscaped public park providing a much-improved setting for two of the listed assets: the rustic wall - menagerie enclosures - animal cages and the Scenic Railway.

The residential development has been designed as predominantly a housing scheme in terms of land allocation. Most of the site (70 per cent by land allocation) is arranged in clusters of low-scale houses and maisonettes of no more than four storeys. The remainder of this site, 30 per cent, proposes apartment buildings between three and seven storeys to address the issues relating to visual screening and environmental amelioration. The mix of the units has been informed by the desire to attract ‘aspirational’ purchasers that will act as a catalyst in regenerating Margate.

In addition to this, the landscape finishes are designed to accommodate fairs, visiting heritage rides and other temporary attractions. This ability to support a number of temporary events is one of the main propositions of the strategy. Hard finishes, temporary power and water points will ensure that this space can attract a variety of uses.

All external spaces are connected by a large south-facing area referred to as ‘The Square’ which forms an open-air hub of the entire complex.

[EAS]

http://m.architectsjournal.co.uk/8626293.article
Cut that paste into Google search box.