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Thursday 19 June 2014

Ramsgate Port is There a Future?

Thanet Green Party Councillor, Ian Driver, has warned that the Port of Ramsgate is “teetering on the verge of financial collapse".

According to figures released to Driver following a Freedom of Information Request, the Port generated £2,301,631 income in the financial year 2012-13. But in the financial year 2013-14 income plummeted to just £570,570. A staggering drop of £1.73 million; 75% less than the  previous year’s earnings!
Said Driver “This extraordinary  drop in income is explained by the 2103 TransEuropa Ferries scandal when, following a secret payment deferral deal approved by  TDCs Labour Cabinet, the company collapsed owing the Council £3.4 million in unpaid bills. But more than year later, and despite having hired a specialist maritime industry consultant, the Council has failed to attract a new ferry operator or significant alternative business for the port”.  
“I would be surprised if the £570,000 income generated by the Port in the last financial year, came anywhere close to covering its day-to-day operating costs. In fact, like Manston Airport, I reckon the port is racking up  astronomic daily  operating losses, which can’t carry on for much longer.  Its time for TDC to learn from the Manston Airport saga and begin to develop a new, imaginative business plan  which will provide a financially robust and sustainable future for the port, before its too late”.
 
TDC’s plans to rejuvenate the port include a £7million investment to modernise facilities and develop an “alongside” quay to attract new ferry operators, cruise liners and container vessels.   Driver, has dismissed these plans as the “unimaginative re-workings of the same old same old ideas ".
“Less than 20 miles away the Port of Dover has begun to invest close to £100 million in massively expanding its capacity to handle  ferries and liners.  Only 75 mile away, the huge,  ultra-modern,  London Gateway freight terminal recently opened for business. There is no way that Ramsgate Port could hope to compete against these maritime colossi”.
“In my opinion Thanet Council should re-think its plans and  invest in transforming  Ramsgate’s Port and Harbour into a state of the art 21st century marina and sea sports centre. A modern marina and sea sports centre would attract hundreds of thousands of new visitors from the UK, Europe and across the world who will spend their  money in the town’s shops, bars, restaurants and hotels. The marina could be linked into a joined up plan to tackle the Pleausurama eyesore and associated seafront decline This would be a major shot in the arm for Ramsgate which will create hundreds of jobs and new business opportunities. I am sure it will be possible to secure EU, KCC and Government funding to pay for a major project such as this”.
“its time to be imaginative and bold rather than re-inventing the past, which has  been proved by recent and bitter experience to no-longer be feasible in Ramsgate. A sharp focus on  modern leisure use is what will put Ramsgate back on the map!

10 comments:

  1. "A modern marina and sea sports centre would attract hundreds of thousands of new visitors from the UK"... not if there was cargo planes flying over it every 30 minutes

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  2. Why not build more pontoons, there is a waiting list for berths and maybe it will attract more money into the area?

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  3. More berths I agree :)
    I think your stance on Manston was appalling. band wagon springs to mind
    But you have redeemed your self here as long as you understand that an airport flying planes over hear would be the death knell for Ramsgate.
    I know your a busy man but a short answer on your stance as it stands about Manstons CPO would be good. As a voter in Ramsgate we need to know where you stand?

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  4. Let Anne Cloag take it off of TDC's hands for a £1 and see if she can use the facility to generate a few hundred jobs and visitors to the area.

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  5. How can the loss in revenue to the port be "explained by the 2103 TransEuropa Ferries scandal when, following a secret payment deferral deal approved by TDCs Labour Cabinet, the company collapsed owing the Council £3.4 million in unpaid bills" if TransEuropa weren't apparantly paying their bill in 2012 - 2013?

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  6. The question should what has tdc done to control the costs since it lost the ferry traffic..

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  7. Over 4 months later the question incredibly remains what has TDC done to control the costs since it lost the ferry traffic!
    The answer is bugger all.
    Reckless wasting of public money continues out of control.
    In fact all they have done is mislead the public by writing articles that it is making money when it is not.
    Lies, deception and incompetence being the TDC way.
    As for the joke that is TDC's port master plan you can now count the massive development plans announced at Sheerness this week against them.

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  8. How can TDC still be recruiting staff for the port one of the local chandlers told me they have recruited a electrician full time for the port only last month. Maybe something is going to happen but if not how can that be a justified spent of tax payer money?

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  9. How can TDC still be recruiting staff for the port one of the local chandlers told me they have recruited a electrician full time for the port only last month. Maybe something is going to happen but if not how can that be a justified spent of tax payer money?

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  10. Is there a separate accounting procedure for the money generated at the Port by Vattenfall and London Array. If so where does this money go? Margate?

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