Following an extensive marketing campaign, Thanet District Council has identified Westwood One Theatre as its proposed preferred partner for the refurbishment and reopening of the Winter Gardens, Margate. Westwood One Theatre is the organisation behind the recent renovation of the Granville Theatre, Ramsgate.
Cabinet members at Thanet District Council will be asked to consider this proposal, which is subject to further detailed work on design, construction costs and business planning, at a meeting on Thursday 20 March 2025. The purpose is to secure the long-term future of the Winter Gardens, as a multi-use leisure and entertainment venue.
Reopening Margate’s Grade II listed Winter Gardens will help to protect the building for the future. It will also contribute to the regeneration of Margate and help to support a vibrant local leisure and tourism industry.
The proposed partner, Westwood One Theatre, has put forward a vision for the Winter Gardens which aims to create a sustainable and profitable multi-use space. Primarily it would operate as a theatre and live music venue, with scope to accommodate conference, corporate events and weddings. These activities would be bolstered by a rooftop bar with panoramic sea views.
The building would also house a drama school, vocational learning centre and registered day nursery.
The report to Cabinet recommends that the Council affirms a commitment to work with Westwood One Theatre to progress the project to the next stage. The report proposes that Thanet District Council allocate up to £80,000 to Westwood One Theatre to support the cost of more detailed work on design, construction costs and business planning. Funding will be drawn from the Winter Gardens’ original £300,000 Margate Town Deal revenue allocation.
As part of ongoing due diligence, a number of next steps have been identified in order to proceed with the project. These are designed to reduce the level of risk to both the Council and Westwood One Theatre, before a completed lease agreement is entered into. These include developing architectural plans to RIBA Stage 2 (where architectural concepts are aligned with the project brief and budget requirements), a detailed business plan, pre-application planning advice and agreements in principle for funding.
Following completion of this work, and subject to its satisfactory outcome and due diligence checks, Thanet District Council will be in a position to consider providing a 999 year lease and a linked £4m grant towards the cost of the refurbishment.
Thanet District Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property, Cllr Ruth Duckworth, said: “This is a positive step towards our ambition to bring the Winter Gardens back into leisure and entertainment use. The proposal being put forward to Cabinet for consideration is both practical and ambitious, reflecting the building’s heritage as a theatre and performance venue, whilst identifying sustainable year-round revenue opportunities.
“We have always understood that local people are passionate about the role of the Winter Gardens as a cultural landmark in Margate and the wider district. Whilst this process has not been a rapid one, we’re committed to ensuring that we have the right partner, with the right vision and I’m pleased that Cabinet is now being asked to consider this matter.”
A spokesperson for Westwood One Theatre commented: “To be identified as Thanet District Council’s proposed preferred partner is a significant milestone in the journey towards reopening the Margate Winter Gardens.
“This has the potential to be a very exciting new chapter for the Winter Gardens and for Margate. The vision we have for the venue’s transformation into a 365-day space will not only enhance the cultural landscape of the town but also drive economic growth and create new job opportunities.
“As an organisation, we’re thrilled that discussions are moving forward to the approval stage. As a local company that produced performances at the Margate Winter Gardens for many years, we have both an understanding of the heritage aspects of the venue and a love and passion for the building itself. We put our proposal forward because we want to ensure that it remains an integral part of Thanet’s entertainment scene.”
The Cabinet report, further information and updates on the Winter Gardens project can be found on the council’s website.
Additional background
Thanet District Council launched the search for a new operator for the Margate Winter Gardens in November 2023. The council worked with commercial real estate firm Colliers to promote the Margate Winter Gardens to potential new operators and investors. The Winter Gardens was temporarily closed in August 2022 to allow an in-depth survey of the structure of the building and facilitate plans for a sustainable future. The project is part of the Margate Town Deal and long-term regeneration programme that will see £22.2m invested locally.
