Monday, 20 April 2009

Planning for failure 2004-09: the collapse of regeneration in Thanet

The Gang of Four and our MP's : a busted flush

* Godden's Gap fire 2003 - still there
* closure of Dreamland 2004: plans for retail and hotel
* Dreamland rollercoaster fireball - charred ruins: Kent Police and Roger Gale have no suspects
* Ramsgate Pleasurama 1999-09: fireball and British Virgin Islands company
* Grupo Antolin: Spanish car door manufacturer closed and relocated to be nearer to the UK car industry: grants taken and no employment
* Planestation: bust and accounting fraud
* EUJet: bust within 6 months - fake consultations and 106 breaches
* Infratil: 2005-08: 3 year plan: fewer flights than ever and repeated breaches of 106
* Thor mercury: closed in 1988 and again in 2005: widespread pollution
* Sericol: old pollution site: pumps turned off
* Pearce sings: closed
* WoolGate: bullying and £10,000 legal costs for taxpayer
* Westwood Cross: traffic chaos and link road to develop farmland
* Town centres: Woolworths close and relocations to Westwood Cross
* Ring Road to nowhere and EKO KCC/TDC quango: £70k salaries
* ChinaGate: council and MP Tesco bag trips and £25k donations: massive public opposition
* Ramsgate and Margate musuems close
* SEEDA funds Manston car park as EUJet collapses: 20,000 Kent citizens stranded abroad
* KCC funds US flights: collapses with 90% tickets unsold
* Broadstairs visitor centre closes and relocates to Dickens museum: Margate and Rmasgate opening hours cut
* Powerboat event: gone
* Infratil/Environment Agency Pegwell Bay pollution: 3 years
* Pfizer: job cuts
* Planning permission for passenger terminal at Manston: cargo sheds built
* Jet Summit building built back-to-front from original Planning permission
* Election Ferry: in time for the County election and one year lease for National Election - doesn't fit the harbour
*Kent Escapes: bust
* Environment Agency highlights dangerous water pollution to TDC and Infratil: 3 years ago
* 90% drinking water polluted: Roger Gale and Steve Ladyman blame the public

Successes:

* Turner Gallery begins construction after 10 years and £7M wasted
* Thanet Earth grows tomatoes in an industrial unit on farmland
* French truckers provide manure on the beaches
* Pay rises for the Gang of Four: 0% seconds after £25k increase each
* Thor clean-up to take 10 years after 4 years already and after the original 20 years
* KCC council tax rise: 3.99% on 0% interest rate: lowest in history
* Kent Police council tax rise 5% on 0% interest rate: lowest in history
* TDC council tax rise 5% on 0% interest rate: lowest in history
* Kings Hill ex-airport opens in West Kent with mix of housing and new businesses
* Steve Ladyman joins SEEDA Parliamentary inquiry - for Dover
* Roger Gale campaings for tax cuts for expats with a converted barn in France
* Laura Sandys campaigns for new zebra crossing

Clearly TDC and our MP's are a busted flush but have KCC washed their hands of Thanet?

Failed. Failed. Failed.

#1: Sack the Gang of Four
#2: Close Manston and jail Infratil
#3: End ChinaGate

Time for Change

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