Plans before the Council

[Cookie]

That sounds more positive! Thanks CE! Big uplift!

[BlueGate Alan]

Does sound more positive, no disrespect James.

 

Thanks for that! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[MargateFan]

Thanks for that, Coffin Ender.

You can't beat facts over opinions, worries and speculations, imo.

[Guest]

Watch the Tory swine interfere once again with our plans. This is going to run and run.

[Graeme H]

I feel like the hotel thing is a bit of a white elephant, always have, although it is a more viable idea than the casino ever was. However there is a lack of three star and above hotel accomodation in Thanet so it may be a niche market. It is hard for semi pro clubs these days to produce a consistent income, like Grays have with their indoor ball park etc. Be interesting to see how the council treat us now and judging by the two posts above saying different things with such certainty, it is no done deal yet.

[jkmaskell]

I attend as many meetings as I can to get an understanding of how the Council make decisions. As I said to June, I am very interested in standing for Council when the next elections come round.

 

Best wait till tomorrow night for the decision at Full Council before starting the celebrations. Im not happy about the idea that the decision is made by the GOSE rather than the local authority but then I was in favour of the Homebase site when it was already passed by the GOSE.

 

I had a wander past HDP this morning and saw a couple of small holes in the hose pipe on the side facing Hartsdown Leisure Centre. If anybody who works on site or can pass the message on, perhaps someone could have a look at the hose and patch it up.

 

I am positive about it but looking at the policies as said tonight there are some points to be made against the application. Seeing the sideways plans and the elevations (something missing from the ukplanning website) was a fair bit more reassuring.

 

Theres still a lot more work to be done before building can begin.

[MargateFan]

Oh come on, James, have a little smile at least!

[Guest]

He is right to be cautious - we have had a lot of false dawns in the last 3 years. There is still much local opposition, as could be seen from the multitude of objections outlined in the planning officer's report.

 

I for one am not yet celebrating.

 

There is still a long way to go - even if full council and GOSE pass the plans, there about 23 outstanding conditions attached to the planning permission.

 

Let's just hope this is the beginning of the end.

[blueblood]

Why will the Hotel be a white Elephant. I was riding people around the other night looking for QUALITY hotel accomadation not doss house,it was midnight. The only accomadation in margate with a consistant standard is the Travel Inn,which in turn is a glorified motel. As part of my job i call at most of the local establishments(margate/cliftonville) with the exception of possible 2 large,one small hotel i wouldnt recommend the rest.What this area is screaming out for is quality accomadation.

[margateshot]

Totally agree. There has not been anything of quality in the area for years. Local businesses must be crying out for local conferencing facilities and accomodation. There is no way that this could be a white elephent. Hotels like this offer all year round facilites and attract people to the area in the winter with special deals. With the stadium next door there will almost certainly be match deals. When we get back to the conference teams travelling further afield will snap at the chance of the overnight accommadation.

[Rob_Butler]

Good luck hope the plans get approved and you can get back in the conference soon

[Guest]

You are quite right. Trouble is you are dealing with a bunch of narrow-minded nitpickers on the Council, some of whom will be relishing the thought of screwing Keith Piper again this evening

[jkmaskell]

Those nitpickers know that MFC right now cant afford to build this. With a CVA still overhanging Margate, the financial backing cant really be there. Ive heard that a loan of 300k has been provided. Would that cover the costs?

 

There are serious issues with this application, highlighted in the report. Is there a demand for an 80 room hotel that far away from the seafront and the town? Is there a demand for a gym when Hartsdown Leisure Centre already can provide that? While its great that things have changed in the application, there are real problems there.

 

3 1/2 pages of negative comments about the application is a big indicator about local views on these plans.

[Guest]

So why have the officers recommended approval?

[jkmaskell]

Because the club will be paying 15k for a real time bus facility. Also because the Council cant refuse as its already been given outline permission. Sort of makes the planning authority and lawndowners role seen a little insignificant.

[Cookie]

James. You are confusing me with your change of attitude every now & then. One minute its a cert to get passed and the next you tell us that it may not pass through. What is your FINAL opinion of what the outcome will be. Seems you are playing both ways and sitting on the fence. Whatever the outcome it looks as though you be right. Its making your mind up time. Pass or not!

[jkmaskell]

Just making sure you're paying attention <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I dont think it should be passed in my opinion. However the Council itself has little choice other than to approve it.

[Cookie]

Good job you're not on the council then! You cant disagree with your colleagues now! You will have to work on that one James should you get into politics. See you later.

[MargateFan]

The officers will have recommended approval because there is no foundation in the planning regulations for a refusal, i.e. everything complies within the application to the criteria required. The thing about conditions is a red herring - conditions are not objections, they are to make the developers follow the correct formulae for materials, size of things, current environmental regulations, all sorts of things. We had 14 on our extension, but the thing was built, and it looks very good, too, as will Hartsdown Park. And by the way, I have had experience in the planning process from a council point of view albeit at Parish Council level, so I am not talking out of my you know what.

As far as the viability of the project is concerned, do people really think that a businessman of the calibre of Mr Lever, who has more assets and business acumen than probably all of us will ever see would have touched this development with a barge pole if he did not think he would get a very good return on his investment?

Now to the Council decision. I do not know which way it will go, but I would think that, having come this far, having satisfied all the criteria and planning processes, and in view of all the positive publicity about the return to Hartsdown, it would be a big surprise if the council chucked it out, flies in the face of all I have seen about these things. Well ,we shall know later on tonight.

And sorry James, but your opinion is not tempered with experience, creditable as it is you take such a great deal of interest in matters council and have a very worthy aspiration to serve in the future. One little tip - to get voted into a political post you need to a) understand your electorate, have a vision and some manifesto for action, and c) be able to enthuse and excite them with your vision for their future benefit if they cast their lot in with you. Although I must say your third way - representing alternate stances on alternate days, does make you sit well on the fence, and like most politicians you will be able to garner some credit for being right on one of those days, whichever way it goes!

[michael]

Wow follow that !!

 

I similarly have previously respected your postings James ,but am a bit surprised at your very clear change of position,and apparent inconsistency between 9.30am this morning in another post and your post above.