Margate - the last resort?

Margate retailer and arts columnist Philip Page puts the latest installation by the Turner Contemporary into perspective.

It's taken £8m and 10 years to plan an arts centre in the seaside town, but so far not a single foundation has been dug. Another £17m is budgeted.

Would the money be better spent on improving Margate's crumbling fabric and services?

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Margate
• Thanet
• arts
• regeneration
• ECR
• TV
• Turner
• Contemporary

[dylanwinter1]

But I like the colours

[eastcliffrichard]

Yes, but were they worth £56,000 when street lights don't work and rubbish isn't collected?

[davelikesnachos]

@womblediehard thats why we love it

[womblediehard]

If i could sum up Margate in one word *crap*

[crystalblueming]

The lovely sea air at Margate is enough to make anyone feel better, don't forget that. With the economy going the way is is, people will be going back to having seaside holidays at the beach in England again, like they used to in the old days. they won't be able to fly to foreign countries for their holidays and will go to cheaper and closer resorts like Margate. Margate has a lovely sandy beach, it was popular for a long time and will be again.

[trickyflyingdave]

Leave the arts to the artists to organise and toe punt the bureaucrats in their granty banky style officey do nothing (especially not draw!) bogus schemes into the north sea. They are a generation of middle class leftovers without any hand eye coordination or common sense. What would you rather see The National Portrait Gallery or some kiddy scraps at the Margit Turnover "Gallery"? A distraction for the developers to burn down the real assets of the area to build more slums of the future.

[trickyflyingdave]

Why don't you get a job in social services then instead of bleeding the arts dry with "community projects". In fact Margate's Turnover Center is the best reason for stopping ALL arts funding.

[trickyflyingdave]

Ha! I left that shithole called Thanet. All the "arts regeneration" in the world wont raise the dead. It's fake arts run by a bureaucracy of time wasters. Massaged egos thinking their arts bureaucracy is a conceptual art piece. So for millions of your money the harbour gets a few shed doors toshed with a few cans of paint. WAKE UP THE SHIP IS SINKING.

[Ceylonjohn]

Your commentary is spot on. As a local businessman who once employed a staff of 10, I am now running my company down and moving onto the internet, soon I will be able to.... MOVE AWAY.

I would rather stay and see the area regenerated but this just 'Ain't gonna happen'

Thanet Council's idea of technology is growing cabbages, their idea of regeneration is to allow profit seeking, fire-starting developers free rein to turn Margate into a toilet.

[s0352mount]

A unique heritage - lost forever.

[Suzannah0]

I agree 100%

[lythe2001]

Great video! no wonder i moved away in 2004 (was born and raised)! hated it back then, and now its even worse! no wonder i live on the other side of the planet in Dallas, TX, USA!