Issue - meetings

Members considered an update report on the Winter Gardens and noted that Cabinet last considered the Winter Gardens in September 2022. At that meeting, Cabinet confirmed the Council’s commitment to the future of the Margate Winter Gardens. Cabinet also agreed on a number of specific actions designed to prepare for a marketing campaign to identify a suitable operator or commercial partner for the future. Cabinet remained fully committed to finding a suitable partner organisation that has the experience and expertise to remodel, refurbish and reopen this important heritage venue and provide it with a long-term sustainable future.

In September 2022, the Council published a timeline for this work and the Leader of Council was pleased to be able to report good progress against this timetable and the actions that were agreed in September. The Council had also completed the necessary structural survey work and the update report provided information about the condition of the building and the estimated cost of essential works. Work to complete detailed survey drawings of the building had been progressed and the searches and studies needed to inform decisions about the future.

Following an open Margate tender process the Council appointed specialist consultants, Counterculture Partnership LLP to complete a review of Thanet’s evening and night time economy, with a focus on the role of the Winter Gardens. Work to complete this study had begun, with a focus on research to consider the food and beverage, cultural, and accommodation offers, Conference and Exhibition spaces and other venue opportunities in Thanet. This work would be used to inform the marketing campaign and the identification of an operator or commercial partner.

During December 2022 and January 2023 the Council ran a public engagement exercise, using the Your Voice Thanet platform. During this time there were 167 participants and 130 questions posted, demonstrating the strength of public feeling about the Winter Gardens in the area.

This feedback was going to be used to update the Frequently Asked Questions on the council’s Margate Town Deal web pages. The next stage in this critical project was the appointment of a specialist agent to support the council with a professional marketing campaign and with the evaluations of proposals from potential operators of commercial partners. The Cabinet report recommended a procurement process to identify a suitable specialist agent and provides information about the scope of this work. It recommended a further report to the cabinet once this work was completed.

The following Members spoke under Council Procedure 20.21.

Councillor Duckworth;

Councillor Whitehead;

Councillor Yates;

Councillor Keen.

Cabinet agreed that:

1. A specialist marketing agency is appointed, as set out in section 4 to the report;

2. The Director of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet member for Economic Development, approves the marketing particulars for the Winter Gardens and the evaluation matrix to be used to assess operator and/or JV submissions;

3. A further report be considered by Cabinet following the completion of the marketing and evaluation exercise, setting out detailed proposals.