Thanet Planning Conference, The Pavilion, Broadstairs, 18th March 2008

Summary of Discussions

Workshop 1

Part 1 – A Vision for Thanet in 2026

• The vision - Was it sufficiently ambitious/aspirational? Thanet is in competition with other areas and the vision should stress our uniqueness and special features. Needs to be joined up.

• Training/Education - A recurring theme. Seen as key, including vocational training for over 21’s. Encourage more employment opportunities to attract graduates/key workers into the area.

• The Retired - Vision does not reflect, or take into account retired residents.

• Environmental issues - Vision needs additional focus on environmental and ecological issues. Keep green wedges, playing fields, gardens etc. Make area attractive.

• Tourism - Not seen as the salvation of Thanet but general feeling that it could play an increasing role as more holidays taken in UK. Heritage is important.

• Transport - Agreed it is key but some disagreement on solutions. Improve public transport including rail – station for airport? More encouragement for cycling etc but others wanted road widening.

• Housing - need decent high quality housing. More executive/family homes, less flats/lower densities. Infrastructure is key - retail outlets, doctors’ surgeries, water supply, roads etc.

• Business – Airport/Port key. Create jobs. Need employment for local people. Support small local business. Growth yes but not at expense of environment – quality development. Need cheaper sites as well as Business Parks.

Part 2 – Visions for Specific Areas within Thanet 

• Coastal towns - Need to define roles in relation to Westwood. Need to identify, maintain and enhance their separate identities (while being complementary) and provide better links between them. Improve public areas, tackle eyesores. Keep housing in towns not on Greenfield.

• Margate - Endorse vision. Speciality shopping, encourage tourism, quality development on sites, more residential in town centre, encourage cultural quarter. Consolidate High Street?

• Cliftonville - Quality accommodation, more employment opportunities. Break cycle of deprivation – more investment required. Quality development. Build on one bed flat policy.  

• Ramsgate - Support tourism, speciality shopping, resist too many one bed flats etc.

• Broadstairs - Maintain identity, keep local shops, resist overdevelopment - keep it the same.

• Westwood – Has had impact on towns but attracts people to Thanet. Disagreement on whether it should be a “town centre”. Needs identity -  more housing? Issues of free parking.

• Villages - Transport issues, different to towns, keep distinctiveness. Concern at people leaving – high house prices.

• Central Island – Understand vision. Transport issues, inadequate public transport, loss of agricultural land is of concern. Eurokent could be mixed use. Development at Manston affecting skyline and views.

• Airport – Key but needs infrastructure. Needs more passenger destinations. Is terminal located in right place. Rail link? Needs promoting with political confidence.

• Port of Ramsgate – Wide range of views on Port. Key - Needs port development authority. Consider alternative uses for spare land. Potential for windfarms – going green.

• Coast and Countryside - Promote tourism in countryside. Conserve the countryside/protect agricultural land – helps make the area distinctive. Is Thanet Earth beneficial?  Will be affected by airport growth.

Conclusions on a vision

A very wide range of views has been expressed. In terms of developing the overall vision while there were no fundamental disagreements with the vision put forward we clearly need to look more closely at the issues of skills and education and the needs of the elderly. Increasing the quality of development and ensuring adequate infrastructure were seen as vital.

In respect of specific areas, once again there was no strong feeling that the visions were intrinsically wrong, but there are a lot of detailed issues to be resolved in achieving the vision.

Strategic Planning

E-mail:

local.plans@thanet.gov.uk

Tel: 01843 577591