Margate Caves

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Does anyone have any news about Margate Caves? I read that a local businessman was willing to buy the site and was ready to invest a lot of money, but that TDC were being typically un-cooperative.

Surely TDC are not going to ignore the tourism potential of the Caves? Surely this attraction is not going to remain closed?

[Sarah]

I think the local businessman you refer to is the bloke who has the lease on the Caves. I have mixed feelings about the Council selling the site. On the one hand, they should hang onto as many of their assets as possible, on the other hand no one will ever invest real money in the site unless they are the freeholder. And TDC doesn't have a great record on caring for its assets or exploiting their potential (see the Tudor House).

The ideal scenario would be if they could sell, but with conditions attached, namely that the caves have to remain open and that only building associated with the attraction will be allowed on the site. Otherwise we may end up with yet more flats...

Sarah

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

I know exactly where you are coming from in saying that TDC should hang on to assets where possible, but the Council is not in the tourism business- at least not directly- and I would tend to favour your next statement about the benefits of the caves being in private ownership. No doubt if the Council owned the Shell Grotto, it too would be closed and boarded up by now.

Perhaps a suitable compromise would be a long -say, 50 year- lease, which would give a strong incentive to any leaseholder wishing to take the caves on to invest in their future.

If they are not willing to do this, at the very least we should put pressure on TDC to carry out the necessary repairs to allow them to re-open for next season.

[cliffc]

[quote="

If they are not willing to do this, at the very least we should put pressure on TDC to carry out the necessary repairs to allow them to re-open for next season.[/quote]

Hi

From all of the recent examples from TDC i would think the chances of them doing the requred works to open the caves next season, would be a bout as remote a Godden running a succesful amusment park, thay just dont seem to want any one to visit Margate, as i dont think thay seem to have much of an idea what attracts visitors to a seaside resort at all, the only hope I think is for them to lease to a private buyer who has some idea of how to run a successfull seaside attraction step forward one Sarah Vickery I think.

Cliff C

[Sarah]

Thankfully, there are a few of us who know how to run successful seaside businesses around here! I looked long and hard at taking the lease for the Caves when it became available several years ago. It's already a pretty long lease at 13-14 years, but yes needs to be longer if it's to attract any serious investment.

In the end, I decided that I would rather run one business well, rather than two in a mediocre fashion (plus I have some time-consuming interests that I wouldn't be able to put aside, the Campaign being an important one). And as Vince points out, I don't have to rely on TDC for anything here at the Grotto, and that suits me just fine.

The Caves needs someone who is truly passionate about the site, prepared to plough some cash into it, able to work pretty unforgiving hours and willing to prostitute themselves in the media at a moment's notice for any publicity going. I hope the current leaseholder is the man for the job; if not the site may be in trouble.

Sarah

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

If the lease ever came up again, I would seriously look into taking it on myself. I talked about this to my wife a fair few years ago following a visit and she said "Yes, I can picture you doing that".

Whatever, it's vital that we don't just allow Margate Caves to become another closed and forgotten attraction.

[Sarah]

The only way to help keep the Caves going is to apply pressure in the right places. I am somewhat reluctant to start a Save the Caves Campaign(!), but as you obviously care as much as I do Vince why don't you make your feelings known - and while you're at it, ask them what the devil they are up to!

John Kirby
Cabinet Member for Development and Built Environment
38 Goodwin Road
Ramsgate CT11 0JS
email: john.kirby@thanet.gov.uk

Roger Latchford
Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operational Services
10 Seaview Road
Birchington CT7 9LB
email: roger.latchford@btinternet.com

Gill Franks
Head of Tourism & Leisure
TDC
PO Box 9
Cecil Street
Margate CT9 1XZ
email: tourism@thanet.gov.uk

Strangely, Roger Latchford used to be called the Cabinet Member for Tourism... there's no new member for tourism listed, so I wonder if they have quietly sidelined our tourism industry at cabinet level... as well as every other level.

Sarah

[cliffc]

Hi

I am shocked to discover that the council actualy have any one in charge of tourisam, as I thought thay did not beleve in such things as tourists coming to Margate.

Not comming from the town I am just wondering how many other attractions that were once there have been allowed to just close and go into decline, I am sure if thay could thay would problery close the beach because it might encoruge people to vist Margate, and thay might just have some fun, the TDC seem to forget that people come to a seaside resort to get way from it all and have some fun and a laugh, to get away from it all for a few hours, I know when I have a Day in Blackpool thats what i go for to relax and just have some fun, not to look at some art, but I also go look round the shops as well, and i have to eat while i am there, if i lived in the south east or london areas I am sure I would visit Margate, Brighton, and Southend like I now visit Blackpool and Scarbrough, as i am now in the North East, Currently if i was in the South East or London I think that my 1st Choice of place to go would not be Margate due to the lack of an amusement park, because for me a day at the seaside means going on some rides, however if Dreamland was open and running then I would choose there over the other places as I like the town, I did not think the town its self was to bad it was the lack of things to do (I did not know about the Shell Grotto though Sorry Sarah) or would have visited there, saw the coaster as we came into dreamland through the arcade at the front of the site and along the long passage way and out through the back, sat and had a few drinks from the bar and then left, did not know what had happend to the site at this time and had not seen the prom stuff for the save Dreamland campaign, I looked back at my 1st post yesterday and how I have changed my views on this issue since then.

Cliff C