shoppingRAMSGATE.

With shopping being in everyone’s mind at Christmas I felt this was a suitable post to read with your Christmas Turkey and a glass of mulled wine. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.
(Click on pictures to enlarge)

The public consultation about this time last year, on the Core Strategy planning proposals, identified the possibility of making Staffordshire Street car park in Ramsgate a key site for the development of an “anchor store” to provide an enhanced shopping experience in Ramsgate town centre. Staffordshire Street car park is adjacent to Cleaver Lane which is an original cobbled street, quite unique and a survivor of “old” Ramsgate.

These two adjacent features provide a unique opportunity to integrate a very special shopping experience within the existing fabric of the town. By providing a series of small shop units fronting the north side of Cleaver Lane an “olde worlde” Dickensian street can be achieved, but enter any of these small shops and they are connected directly into the large new department store beyond, thus creating a wealth of differing shopping environments to suit all tastes

The remodelled site contains a two storey car park at the ground and lower ground floors and a panoramic restaurant at roof level with roof terrace and views of the church spire and town. A solar panel array on the roof provides a substantial proportion of the electricity requirements for the centre.

This is one of five proposals being put forward as opportunities for the regeneration and revitalisation of Ramsgate in the 21^st century and in preparation for the 200^th anniversary of Ramsgate Royal Harbour. Such schemes will require inward investment into the town and provide opportunities for employment together with an enhancement of the town’s economics.