Step forward for reopening of historic Margate venue
Councillors have approved revamp of the Winter Gardens
Plans to reopen a beloved concert venue have moved forward with a final call set to be made in the coming weeks.
Margate’s Winter Gardens have been the town’s main concert and performance venue since it was built in 1911.
It was used by the military during World War Two, largely destroyed, and then rebuilt after the war, and has served the town as a venue since.
However, it has been shut since 2022, when YourLeisure handed its lease back to Thanet District Council (TDC), citing a backlog of repairs and refurbishments which it could not undertake.
At that point, the council decided to shutter the venue pending a future operator.
Westwood One, which runs the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate, was announced as the firm that would take over the venue last October.
Since then, it has submitted plans to refurbish the Grade II-Listed building, which would add four additional bars, a 100-place drama school, a 100-place nursery, a rooftop bar/cafe, a further education/vocational learning centre, and still host two main concert/performance halls.
TDC’s planning committee met on Wednesday to decide on listed building consent for the works – which are needed before full permission can be given.
Philip Ivory, a planning consultant on behalf of the developers, told the committee: “The proposed scheme will bring the Winter Gardens back into use as a major regional and national theatre venue, supported by the introduction of new secondary uses.”
“Repurposing this iconic space into a multifaceted hub of culture, education and leisure, the applicant intends to foster a vibrant community spirit.”
He added that the developers expect the full planning application to be decided by the committee in September.
TDC officers were recommending that members vote in favour of the listed building consent.
However, former TDC member Ian Driver attended the meeting to object, saying: “There’s a significant risk that this building contains asbestos.”
As such, development work risks “releasing this deadly mineral into the air breathed by residents on Fort Crescent, by visitors and staff, by passersby on the promenade and, if the scheme proceeds, by the babies and children in the proposed nursery.”
He argued that a decision “should be deferred until a full asbestos report is brought forward.”
A TDC officer explained that asbestos assessments and safety are a matter for other authorities.
She said: “In this case that would be the Health and Safety Executive and building control, so it’s not considered that there is a need for an asbestos survey to have been submitted.
“In any case we’re aware that the applicant has been conducting inspections.”
Another officer added: “We are satisfied that the correct regulatory regime is in place to manage that particular issue,” but that it was not known whether the assessment would be available before the committee decides on the full application.
Cllr Helen Crittenden (Lab) raised concerns about the viability of the nursery, saying: “It is unusual for a children’s nursery to be co-located in a fully public building with theatre, restaurants and bars, which I believe will attract greater scrutiny from Ofsted when the time comes to secure their registration.
“Ultimately it is the applicant’s responsibility to get it right but it’s better to get it right the first time.”
“I think this is transformative. I definitely agree that the benefit outweighs the harm,” said Cllr Jack Packman (Lab).
“This will be brilliant for the area and local businesses.
“It should never have closed but that’s a different political debate.”
The committee voted to give listed building consent with seven votes in favour, none against and two abstentions.