A proposal for the future of Ramsgate has been set out with the publication of the Ramsgate Vision and Regeneration Plan. The plan is a strategic blueprint for the town, following an award of £20 million investment over the next ten years, through the government’s Pride in Place Programme.
The Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, a body created specifically to oversee this initiative, approved the comprehensive document on Friday, November 21, ahead of its final review by Thanet District Council’s Cabinet at a meeting on Thursday 27 November.
Following Cabinet feedback, the plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) by midday on Friday 28 November.
The funding has paved the way for a new, ambitious 10-Year Vision and Regeneration Plan, ‘Revive and Thrive – Ramsgate Rising’, which has been built directly upon the feedback of local residents and businesses. It is based on an extensive engagement process, which saw over 1,500 residents and 97 businesses contribute their views by survey, and 583 attendances that took place across 28 separate community listening events. There was clear passion for Ramsgate and belief in its potential. However, participants reported frustrations with how the town centre looked and felt, including concerns over empty shops. They also voiced fears around crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre and their local areas.
The result is a plan which aims to place power into the hands of local people. It marks a turning point for the town, shifting the narrative from ‘striving to get by’ to ‘thriving,’ with a clear roadmap to address both the visible neglect and social challenges facing the community.
A dedicated Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, composed of community leaders, residents and businesses, has worked to create a dynamic plan that confronts the town’s challenges while unlocking its immense potential.
Assessment of the town’s current situation highlights that there has been no net job growth in the decade prior to 2022, wages significantly below the South East average, a commercial vacancy rate of 11.7%, and high levels of deprivation, with some neighbourhoods in the top 1% most deprived in the country.
In response, the new vision is concise and compelling: “Beauty and peace, prosperity and pride. Safe harbour, open arms. Not striving but thriving. All together, Ramsgate is rising.”
The Vision translates the responses by Ramsgate’s communities into five strategic priorities:
- Open It Up: Bringing back our town centre and jobs.
- Clean It Up: Cleaner, greener streets and restoring civic pride.
- Light It Up: Safer streets and better policing to reduce fear.
- Raise It Up: Investing in young people, skills, and their future.
- Join It Up: Integrated health and support for everyone.
The strategy is focused on five key calls to action identified by the community: “We clean up. Open up. Light up. Join up. Raise Up.” The plan is not restricted to the High Street; it is designed to ensure investment and activity reaches across Ramsgate.
Cllr Rick Everitt, Leader of the Council and a member of the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board said: “This funding is a game-changer. The vision is a direct result of the community’s passion and determination. This is not a plan imposed from above; it has been built by Ramsgate for Ramsgate. We now have a different set of resources to start to tackle some of the long-standing issues not dealt with through other capital funding programmes, restore civic pride, and ensure our town is a place where every resident, from Pegwell to Northwood and Nethercourt to Sir Moses Montefiore,, feels safe and sees opportunity.”
Brian Horton, Chair of the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board commented: “This Vision and Regeneration Plan shows what we can achieve when the community works together and speaks with one voice. The Neighbourhood Board is delighted to have unanimously approved this plan for Ramsgate’s future. The hard work starts now. We will move quickly to turn the five key priorities—from Cleaner, greener streets to Investing in our young people—into real, practical projects. We are making sure that every pound of the £20 million funding creates long-term improvements and lasting pride in Ramsgate. We’ve moved beyond just trying to cope; we are now ready to succeed, together.”
Wednesday Lyle, Chair of Ramsgate Traders Group and Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board Member stated: “The high street has struggled for too long. This plan recognises that we need to ‘Open Up’ the town centre, including more than just retail. By supporting flexible workspaces and tackling empty units, we can diversify our local economy and make the High Street a destination again. Making our town look better and feel safer was shown to be a priority for residents and businesses alike. This plan will be focused on improving the town so it can be enjoyed by the whole community. It is an investment in our future workforce and local entrepreneurship.”
Louis Palfrey, Co-director from Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet and Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board Member stated: “The message that ‘We feel unloved’ was loud and clear, but so was the assertion that ‘We have potential.’ This new plan responds to these messages with a shared vision for a future filled with hope. By prioritising core values of care and belonging, we can start to truly look out for each other, to build on and champion Ramsgate’s open-armed community. The dedication of the Neighbourhood Board ensures this will remain a dynamic, evolving plan that stays true to the needs of the people who make up our town.”
The plan sets out a clear strategy in line with central government guidance. To bring this to life, the Board is commissioning a creative design that captures the true spirit of Ramsgate. We will work alongside residents to create materials that share our joint ambition—starting with a fully accessible, redesigned version of the Regeneration Plan that everyone can be proud of. The strategy sets out how change needs to happen, combining immediate actions with long-term investment across these themes to create a self-sustaining cycle of improvement, where success in one area helps the others.
