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By 2012, Thanet will be recognised as an area that has changed its fortunes, thanks to a thriving and sustainable cultural community and economy. “Must experience” areas across the isle will attract residents and visitors alike to enjoy our revitalised cultural heritage, the vibrant energy of local creative industries and the unique coastal offer. Participation in, and enjoyment of, culture will have become a way of life for Thanet's residents, as part of the continuing regeneration of the isle.
To achieve this, we will continue to focus on cultural regeneration, building on the area’s rich coastal heritage to strengthen our community and create a District that is home to both the innovative and the traditional.
To achieve this vision, the Council has developed an action plan, which sets out what it aims to do over the next four years.
During the consultation process, a series of different overarching themes emerged and each of the actions has been grouped under one of these themes:
Events have been an established part of the tourism draw to Thanet for a number of years, with some of the biggest festivals, such as the Broadstairs Folk Week, Ramsgate Powerboat Grand Prix and Margate’s Big Event, attracting more than 50,000 people. Events also have a vital role to play in giving local people the opportunity to explore and enjoy their area. Evidence from other parts of the country, such as the Lowry Salford and the Tate St. Ives, indicate that arts can play a similar role in bringing visitors into an area.
The success of recent years has shown that culture has a valuable role to play in supporting Thanet’s regeneration and bringing more visitors and inward investors into the area. In Margate Old Town, work to establish a creative quarter has already seen more than 60 buildings refurbished, the creation of around 65 jobs and a dramatic increase in property prices.
Thanet’s coastline is internationally and nationally recognised, with designations including two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA). The area is home to the longest continuous stretch of coastal chalk in Britain, which attracts internationally significant numbers of birds, such as turnstones and golden plovers. In addition, the beaches and bays are a major attraction to visitors and, between them; they hold seven Blue Flag awards.
Thanet is home to some of the finest architecture in the south east and has the highest density of listed buildings in Kent. The area was ranked 34th in the country for listed buildings per square kilometre in the Local Futures Amenities Index. Ramsgate alone has 900 beautiful listed buildings, principally made up of Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian properties and is home to Kent’s largest conservation area.
Local people have identified improvements to sport and leisure provision in Thanet as one of their top priorities. It is recognised that some of the area’s key indoor leisure facilities need to be replaced imminently and work is underway to address this.
The consultation also suggested that cultural identities could be adopted for each of the three main towns:
These identities would maximise the existing offer of each town.
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Context
Vision