Thanet District Council spending hundreds of thousands on Margate’s Winter Gardens

Transcript

00:00From the Beatles to Churchill, from New Order to Laurel and Hardy, Margate's winter gardens

00:07have been part of Thanet's cultural fabric for more than 100 years.

00:13But since 2022 the venue has been vacant, leaving only the sound of sea and silence

00:20as Thanet District Council searches for a new operator.

00:26And for neighbouring hospitality, the last two years have been devastating.

00:32In terms of our business, the hospitality business and the B&B, it's really about events.

00:38If there's an event, it brings people down and we benefit.

00:42So if you take away all these events, you know, it takes away a lot of business.

00:47We have to pivot and we have to look at additional ideas to bring in guests, but in those days

00:54it was a lot easier.

00:56Data obtained by Freedom of Information Request reveals the full extent of maintaining the

01:03ailing building, with the council shelling out nearly £400,000 in taxpayer money to

01:10maintain the venue since regaining the lease.

01:13And for those who have lived in Margate for most of their lives, the state of the building

01:19is a source of anger and disappointment.

01:22So I remember coming here when I was a nipper.

01:25My parents used to be here when there was some big acts here like the Beatles and I

01:29think the Rolling Stones came here maybe when they were first starting.

01:32I remember seeing the sort of gang show, they used to have the Cubs here, gang show every

01:36year.

01:37An old-fashioned venue like this, it's an absolute criminal that it's just been left

01:41a wreck and ruin, covered in ivy, concrete cancer all over it, it's a disgrace really.

01:46I think they're most probably waiting to pull it down.

01:48To turn around and say, well it's now in such a state, we'll have to pull it down, but who's

01:52fault is that?

01:53I'd love it to open up again, it's a hub of the community, promotes businesses up here.

01:59The hotels used to do a lot better up here, so yeah, we'd like to see it back again.

02:03Furnet District Council say the hunt for an operator is still ongoing, warning public

02:09updates could potentially impact the outcome.

02:13They say they will only share information once the process has concluded.

02:18An update is expected in the coming weeks.

02:23But with the building's condition deteriorating and calls for the venue's return escalating,

02:29the council will soon have to face the music.

02:32The question will be, at what cost?

02:36Oliver, leader of the SAC for KMTV, in Margate.