LIBRARY SERVICE FOR RAMSGATE

A temporary building is open in Cannon Road Car Park.

It is fully accessible to wheelchair users.
Work has finally started on the rebuilding of our library with a projected opening date sometime in Autumn 2008 but as it was supposed to be open by now (Autumn 2007) don't be surprised if it takes a little longer - we will keep you posted with developments.

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SO WHAT’S NEXT?
Peter Landi

You will no doubt remember the proposal to sell off Albion House, the justification being that it is underused after all the departments using it were moved out! The Council needs the money and therefore it must be sold off. Our Chairman is currently trying to take possession of Albion House by setting up a trust and possibly using the basement as a museum of Ramsgate history as the new library will have no space dedicated to a museum.

The Council has allowed part of Jackey Baker’s playing fields to be taken over by the Marlowe Academy in order to provide an eight- lane running track. The trees and shrubs bordering the Academy have already been grubbed out. We now hear that the new Ramsgate Swimming Pool will be sited at the Marlowe Academy. What was the point of the consultation about where to put the pool when they had already decided? Will they be taking more of Jackey Baker’s field? We understand that both of these facilities are badly needed and possibly the new running track should be sited there. But why put the swimming pool there as well? It is nearer Broadstairs than Ramsgate!  

The present pool sited on the Warre Recreation Ground will be surplus and presumably demolished and the hole filled in. But what’s next? Will the space be returned to a recreation ground? Space on other parts of that site has already been allocated for “temporary” use by Balfour Beatty (British Rail contractors). I say “temporary” in this way because they have concrete bases laid which rather belies the word. We suspect that development will take place on the site using the justification that it is a Brownfield site following its use for the swimming pool and car park. That’s the way to do it!

Now we come to the latest proposal. King George VI Park is now under threat. The Council had a depot in the park. They did not need it and sold it to Philip Dadds & Partners (Architects). They developed the courtyard and stable block in a very sympathetic manner and used it as their studios and offices with some accommodation included - no problem! The Council used an area outside the depot adjacent to the stable block to dump their grass cuttings, hedge clippings etc. They now class that area as a Brownfield site and wish to build two substantial residences on it, the justification being that it will raise money for the Council to erect a proper fence to protect the Italianate Greenhouse from further vandalism. What will the fence be made of – gold bars?

In the same proposal for the Montefiore Avenue area they propose to close one of the tennis courts and take over the now disused putting green. Some extra parking for the Thanet Bowls Club on the site would be provided. Fourteen residential houses would be built in the area.

At the Cabinet meeting held at Cecil Square on Tuesday 7th February many local residents were in the public gallery to hear the proposal. There were numerous interruptions from the gallery as residents expressed their outrage. The proposal to proceed with consultations was passed. The Ward Councillors and residents adjourned to a committee room and it was decided to hold a public meeting in Albion House (if that has not been sold off too) at a date and time to be notified.

There is currently a project to improve Dane Park in Margate to Green Flag Standard. It is hoped to do the same for King George VI Park when that project is completed. Cliff-side open spaces are very scarce and must be cared for and preserved not sold off for short term capital gains by allowing piecemeal housing development. We must be vigilant and defend our open spaces. Government has set a target for the number of homes to be built in the southeast - those targets must not be met at the expense of our precious open spaces. They do not belong to Thanet District Council - they belong to US to hold in trust for our children and grandchildren.

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SEPTEMBER 2006
Just as a point of interest for those of you who do not get to hear the local news...

Thanet District Council has just received a Commissioned Report on open spaces and Indoor Leisure Facilities in Thanet. It found that we have too many Bowling Greens but not enough trees. Whoopee Do!

This report cost the Council Tax Payers £49,500, that would have paid for - our missing Tram Shelter, repaired Ellington Park Bandstand and would have paid for the cleaning-up of the rubbish in the Inner Harbour. What's more, what happens to these reports?

Well T.D.C. says, "It determines their future planning decisions" - so what happened to the Local Plan which stated Pleasurama should be for leisure? ... Can't see the wood for the trees?

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GWYN'S CLOCK PROJECT
Peter Landi

When I became Chairman of The Ramsgate Society over two years ago I was determined to put right something that had been troubling me for some time, that empty drum that formerly contained Gwyn's Clock. That empty drum came to represent in my mind the dilapidated state of parts of our Town Centre and now that improvements were being made it was totally inappropriate.

I started to make enquiries about possible ways to have it replaced. Straight away I was told that I was wasting my time and that several people before me had tried and failed. My first priority was to contact Miles & Barr, who now owned the property on which the clock (or rather the remains of it) was hanging and ask them how they felt about it. Stuart Barr, a former Chatham House boy - as I am, was supportive but asked if I had any idea of the cost. So that was my starting point!

I first had to get access to the existing workings located high up in the tower. It was dusty and full of pigeon droppings but the workings were intact although rather rusty. These workings were for an eight day clock which meant it would have to be wound every week and the difficulty of access meant that this was not feasible, even if the working parts could be restored. I therefore decided to replace the clock with an electric replica as near the original as possible.

Good Directions of Southampton were recommended and I asked them for a price. There were various sizes and other options to be considered but a rough figure of £5000 was mentioned. There was also the cost of removing the existing drum, re-fixing the new one and making the necessary electrical connections at an additional cost of around £3000.

Miles & Barr agreed to contribute half the cost of the new clock. Darren Ellis of D.J. Ellis (Construction) Ltd (an Old Boy of St George's School) agreed to take the existing drum down and assist with the installation which saved us a considerable sum.

Once the existing drum was removed it was found to be not a standard size and a special case had to be made. With the money saved by the free assistance given by Darren Ellis I was able to have additional features incorporated into the clock. We had gilding on the dials, internal illumination of the faces both day and night and the connection to the time signal from Rugby which meant that the clock would always be correct and would go forward and back each time British Summer Time changed. This increased the price of the clock to £6600 including VAT and the final installation.

Thanet District Council agreed that Gwyn's Clock could be added to the list of clocks maintained by their contractor, annually.

It took two years to obtain the rest of the funding needed and to complete the project.

My thanks to Miles & Barr, D.J. Ellis (Construction) Ltd, The Charter Trustees of Ramsgate, Manston Airport Consultation Committee, The Ramsgate Society, KCC Councillors John Kirby and Alan Poole and to the clockmakers "Good Directions" of Southampton for their advice on technical matters.

My thanks also to those who told me I was wasting my time and would never succeed - it just made me try harder!