Joyland Books

Today we visited Margate and witnessed the railings oposite the seafront being painted. We noticed potted palms in large tubs along the pavement and the streetlights appeared to be newer and different. It all made a positive impression but we were saddened to visualise how derelict, rundown and unkempt a large area around the Cliftonville end of Margate near the winter Gardens looked. There is an opportunity to provide and create decent homes by modernising the structures already there or demolishing them and starting again, rather than building and squashing units into Dreamland which is unnecessary. The council should consider buying the land and creating the plans it wishes to use for Dreamland in this available space.
We have also heard some retail outlets are leaving Margate due to the opening of Westwood nr Broadstairs.This will leave premises available and a chance to individualise the main High Street again rendering it unnecessary to use Dreamland areas.
with these observations it appears the thanet plan has not been well thought out leaving out large areas that do need smartening up which make the area look dreadful while depriving Dreamland the support for its continued prescence.


Alan

I agree. I have heard that several of Margate town centre's main shops (Marks & Spencers, Boots, WHSmith?) are closing and moving out to Westwood, meaning that there is now capacity for new shops in the town centre. And, as you say, there does not appear to be the need to find new housing sites when there are so many derelict properties/vacant sites in the town. I suppose developers like the Dreamland site because it is seen as an 'easy target', without the costs of demolition or refurbishment.

This all adds weight to our case to retain Dreamland as an amusement park.

Nick

lol ya even H Samuels in Ramsgates been boared up and now has moved to westwood cross. I tell ya if any of you have been their yet by car then you might of noticed that they didn't do a good enough job on the road. Coz there was cars all the way down to the hare and hound the other night

Alan wrote:Today we visited Margate and witnessed the railings oposite the seafront being painted. We noticed potted palms in large tubs along the pavement and the streetlights appeared to be newer and different. It all made a positive impression but we were saddened to visualise how derelict, rundown and unkempt a large area around the Cliftonville end of Margate near the winter Gardens looked. There is an opportunity to provide and create decent homes by modernising the structures already there or demolishing them and starting again, rather than building and squashing units into Dreamland which is unnecessary. The council should consider buying the land and creating the plans it wishes to use for Dreamland in this available space.
We have also heard some retail outlets are leaving Margate due to the opening of Westward nr Broadstairs.This will leave premises available and a chance to individualise the main High Street again rendering it unnecessary to use Dreamland areas.
with these observations it appears the thanet plan has not been well thought out leaving out large areas that do need smartening up which make the area look dreadful while depriving Dreamland the support for its continued prescence.


Alan

Its sad to see the neglected and semi derelict state that the Seafront area of Margate has been allowed to decline into. Not many visitors return having seen the sorry and rundown state of the seafront area.

Dreamland was the last chance salon for revieving Margates tourist industry. Sadly its not to be. The council have decided that what is needed is yet another shopping centre. Unfortunately there are already too many shopping centres but it seems to be the in thing with councils at the moment. The existing town centre shopping facilities are large enough. Most of the big stores will stay out of the town centres and shops will gradually declines as well with the impact of the Internet.

Can anyone honestly say that in its current form that Margate will attract tourists ? It could have all been very different.