Update on the Winter Gardens

Management of the Grade ll listed Winter Gardens in Margate returned to Thanet District Council on Friday 12 August. 

The heritage building is owned by the council but has been leased to Your Leisure who have been responsible for operating the Winter Gardens as an entertainment venue since November 1999.

The building, which requires significant investment and repair, will close for a period of time to allow an appraisal to take place. This marks the start of the next phase for the much-loved venue. The Winter Gardens has an impressive past and we are confident of its potential for a significant and flourishing future at the heart of Thanet’s already thriving mix of culture, heritage and tourism. 

In order to protect and preserve the Winter Gardens during this phase, temporary security screening will be installed on the building and fencing put in place. Additional security measures will include daily patrols, internal inspections and CCTV.

Cllr Ash Ashbee, Leader of Thanet District Council said: 

“Now that the Winter Gardens is back under council management, we can start to determine the best future for the venue. We need to understand what is commercially viable in the building alongside public engagement to ensure that we hear from the community as part of this process.”

“Everything that we are doing is with the best interests of the Winter Gardens as the foundation. We are confident that the Winter Gardens has a fully viable future ahead.”