Deputy Leader of Thanet District Council and Cabinet Member for Housing
Ward Councillor for Margate Central
Loves Thanet, Housing, Coffee and Cats.

Regenerating Thanet
There are a huge number of Labour led regeneration projects ongoing across Thanet, in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Westgate and the Villages.
Some involve our most cherished Listed assets, such as the Winter Gardens, the Theatre Royal and the Ramsgate Clockhouse; some involve the creation of new leisure facilities, such as the Cliftonville Skatepark and the renewal of our playgrounds; others focus on our continuing drive for accessibility for all residents, such as our new accessible boardwalks at Margate and Ramsgate Main Sands, the reinstatement of beach lifts at Ramsgate and Walpole Bay, and our new accessible toilets at Margate and Broadstairs.
All these projects are essential to the growth and health of our community, and our progress is listed below.

The Margate Winter Gardens With a £4,000,000 investment of Margate Town Deal funding, the Winter Gardens are due to open in March 2027 with the opening of the Main Hall. The provider is Westwood One, and the total investment of £8,000,000 into this historic asset will bring not only the Main Hall and the Queen's Hall back into use, but also make the building accessible, provide a rooftop bar and a 100 place drama school, education centre and nursery.

The Theatre Royal Margate The Grade II* listed Theatre Royal is due to reopen in 2027, with £6,000,000 in funding from the Margate Town Deal and Thanet District Council. Renovations include the full repair of historic plasterwork, environmental improvements including photo-voltaic panels, and increased seat capacity of 50. The renovation includes step free access and accessible toilets.

Newington Community Centre The Newington Community Centre has provided essential services and community support for years; and now we have invested to ensure that the resources that they have match their ambitions. With £1,100,000 invested the Community Centre now has a larger training and community kitchen for cookery programmes, roof insulation, solar panels, and a community garden and courtyard.

Access Walpole Using £2,125,000 of Margate Town Deal funding the Access Walpole Project aims to increase both accessibility and facilities at Walpole Bay Tidal Pool. Facilities include the renewal of the Walpole Bay Lift, a two storey cafe with pebble roof and bird boxes, accessible toilets and outside showers, a community space, water fountain, disabled parking and cycle routes and spaces.

Pie Factory Ramsgate Through bridge funding from Thanet District Council Pie Factory was saved from commercial disposal by KCC, ensuring that Pie Factory Music and youth services could continue to operate from the building, and enabling £535,000 of Pride In Place funding to be allocated to Pie Factory Music to purchase the freehold and ensure the future of Pie Factory Music and Ramsgate Youth Services.

The Madeira Walk Waterfall This Labour administration funded £150,000 of repairs and essential maintenance to the Madeira Walk Waterfall, after years of non function and disrepair. Work included resealing, water pump repairs and part replacement, pulhamite repairs, planting maintenance and species surveys.

Pierremont Park Regeneration £400,000 of Pride In Place funding to redesign and improve accessibility in Pierremont Park, with new planting schemes, fountain repair and renewal, accessibility measures and new playground facilities with accessible equipment.

The Eastcliff Lift £120,000 funding to restore the historic Eastcliff lift and improve accessiblity on Ramsgate seafront.

The Margate Boardwalk Funded through a £310,000 fund for Accessible Community infrastructure, alongside the building of accessible toilets on Margate Seafront, continuing the work of ensuring that our beaches are accessible for all. Due to complete in 2027.

The Ramsgate Boardwalk Funded through a £310,000 fund for Accessible Community infrastructure, continuing the work of ensuring that our beaches are accessible for all. Due to complete in 2027.

Jackey Bakers Multi-sport Hub An extraordinary 10.7 million transformation of the Jackey Bakers recreation ground into a multi sports facility, including three floodlit 3G pitches, racket and track sports, health and social spaces, a children's play area and biodiversity projects alongside a community centre providing changing rooms, a Changing Places facility, a community cafe and meeting room. This project began as an excellent community campaign for better facilities and pitches, pushed for by June Tyrell and other Northwood residents; it has now expanded into the multi hub project we see in development today, providing greatly improved facilities for all of Thanet.

The Ramsgate Clockhouse Complete renovation and regeneration of the Ramsgate Clockhouse using £3,600,000 funding to do essential repairs to the Grade II* listed building, create a martime heritage hub community space and exhibition space. Additional work outside to remove and demolish old containers and create a single storey waterfront cafe.