Public owned land.

[Guest]

"We are accountable to the public and we need to ensure that they benefit from the amenities on the site and that the land remains in public ownership"

 

This quote from the leader of the Thanet Council relates to the land in public ownership at Hartsdown Park which is being built on and funded by a private firm.

Will he be saying the same thing in the same tone of voice when he refers to the Turner Contemporary which is to be built on public land (donated by Thanet Council) but being paid for by Kent County Council. The cost of which has risen from the original £12 million (in 2001)to the current £25 million.(Will it go up another £13 million before its planned opening in 3 years time)

Funny how the Art Centre plans were passed at Thanet Planning Committee stage and has not been subject to the same council intervention as Hartsdown.

[mala_D]

NLF is not middle class enough for 'em.

Invite Melvyn Bragg, Charles Saatchi and Damien Hirst down for tea and buns and watch the Council's reaction change.

 

Seriously, Councils tend to interprete the word "culture" as being exclusive to "the arts"...whereas all intelligent people [that is everyone not in the Council] know that Culture refers to all manner of past-times, and includes spectating football matches.

[Guest]

More information has just filtered through about the Turner Centre.

a)KCC DO expect it to cost more by its completion.

b)There is still a funding shortfall of £12 million being covered by the County Council.

c)As the Centre will be free admission it is expected to cost another £1.5 million per year to KCC.

d)As it stands at the moment it will cost EVERY man, woman and child in Kent £15 each just to build PLUS £1 for EVERY man, woman and child in Kent each year to run. (The London Olympic bid is only costing London ratepayers 35p each)

e) Thanet Council GAVE 2.5 acres of land to KCC to build the Centre of which KCC expect to make a large profit by selling on about half of it.

f)There was objections to the scheme which KCC seem to want to overrule with the Dept of Envoiroment WITHOUT discussion.

g) The Centre is being built to regenerate the town of Margate (have Thanet Council thought about that)

h) The Turner Centre will be built whatever the situation and whatever the cost.

[Guest]

And don't forget the cost of repairs due to storm damage. For those who don't know, the Turner Centre is going to be built on the sea wall in Margate harbour. That might be OK for a whelk stall, but for a multi-million pound art gallery?

[Guest]

Plan is to build on stone pier AND into the harbour. There is currently NO insurance company willing to cover the scheme fully so all shortfall and damage costs will be met by the County Council (you and me through are council tax)

[Guest]

This stuff deserves a wider audience.

[Guest]

The 25 million quid has been given by the Mational Lottery. So presumably there is no financial considrations to be made by TDC. The scandal, if it is to be called that, is going to be the running costs. £800000 per annum in an area where many of the residents take money out rather than put money in. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/affig.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

No Lottery money involved in this scheme and running cost is £2 million a year of which £1.5 million is down to KCC (rest covered by the Arts Council)

 

These figures are from KCC themselves and have gone to the Council meeting in Maidstone for ratification

[Guest]

If,as has been claimed, KCC will be selling on land given to them by Thanet Council will the local taxpayers be given the full facts of this transfer of land, the people involved and the possible implications that it entails.

If money is to be made it should be by Thanet for the benefit of Thanet and its people NOT just a few individuals.

[Guest]

Do we have a situation here of two public bodies working behind the backs of people they are meant to represent for their own gains whilst at the same time blocking a private application for personal or political reasons.

 

Will council officials, be it Kent or Thanet, like to comment on the matter or do they have something to hide??