Access Walpole

Coastal Wellbeing Projects:

See below a plan of how all of the Coastal Wellbeing projects sit alongside each other.

Sitting within the Coastal Wellbeing theme is the Access Walpole Project which includes a number of smaller projects to include; improvements to the tidal pool and surrounds, the steps, and reinstatement of the cliff lift.

Project Overview:

The aim of this project is to see the Grade II Listed Walpole Bay Lift and clifftop space fully functional again, bringing the sea and all its benefits back to the people who live in or visit this area.

The lift was originally installed by the Ministry of Health in the 1930s to encourage people to enjoy the benefits of living by the coast. This included swimming in the nearby tidal pool or walking along the shoreline – activities that improved people’s health and wellbeing. This project will make that happen again.

Without access to a working lift, some people are limited to exploring the clifftop. As part of the Town Deal’s Access Walpole project, bringing back the lift will bring the sea and cliff top communities together, achieving access for everyone. The plan is that in addition to the lift, the area in the immediate vicinity will be developed to include facilities such as a cafe or kiosk.

Project Outcomes:

Bringing the lift back will:

• Promote improved health and wellbeing for the people living nearby.
• Restore civic pride in the area, sending a strong message that Margate continues to be a regeneration success story, that we care about the town and its heritage.
• Connect the clifftop and the seashore, enabling people to enjoy the full spectrum of their surroundings.
• It will help to open up a route, into Margate and back, along the clifftop for people unable to manage a steep climb.
• Create a new, link up to Northdown Road.
• Deliver a valuable community asset.