Thanet

Ramsgate Clock House’s bid by the National Lottery Heritage Fund was rejected.

7 months ago

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Thanet District Council secured £19.8m of Levelling Up Funding for Ramsgate in August 2021. £3.36m of the total funding is currently allocated to the refurbishment of the Clock House building in Ramsgate Royal Harbour. In August 2023, the council, in partnership with the Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust (RHRT), submitted a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). The bid outlined a request for £2.5million, to extend the Clock House building to provide additional exhibition space, and to partially fund the restoration of the existing building. The bid also included £500,000 to deliver heritage development and activities. Today (Thursday 14 December 2023), NLHF has confirmed that this funding bid was unsuccessful. Cllr Rick Everitt, Leader of Thanet District Council, said: “Though the announcement from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is a setback, we are committed to bringing the much-loved Clock House back to life as a heritage hub for Ramsgate. “I know how disappointed the Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust will be at this outcome, but I want to reassure them, and the town of Ramsgate, that we will work with them to ensure the project is a success. Although we won’t have the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we will be researching other funding opportunities instead and we can do this in a timeframe that suits the project. “Work will now start to review the scope of the scheme, within the existing Levelling Up funding allocation.” John Walker, Chair of the Ramsgate Society, said: “We are disappointed by this result, of course, after all of the hard work that has gone into this project so far. We are committed to delivering a maritime heritage hub for Ramsgate, and will continue our efforts, alongside Thanet District Council and the Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust, to bring it to fruition.” The Clock House building in Ramsgate Royal Harbour had been leased to the Steam Museum Trust since 2012 and is now back under the council’s management. Since its return, the council has assessed the building for urgent repairs, and has started work to repair the building’s electrical wiring to enable lighting and temporary heaters, which will reduce potential impact to the building’s structure over the winter. The Clock House is Grade II* Listed, and is on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, due to its continued deterioration in recent years. Read more about the Clock House refurbishment project here.

In August 2021, the Thanet District Council secured Ramsgate’s leveling funding of £19.8 million. The Clock House building in Ramsgate Royal Harbour is currently being renovated with funding totaling £3.36 million.

The council submitted a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund ( NLHF ) in August 2023 in collaboration with the Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust ( RHRT ). The bid included a request for £2.5 million to expand the Clock House building to add more exhibition space and to contribute to the cost of the building’s restoration. Additionally, the bid included £500, 000 to fund activities and heritage development. &nbsp,

NLHF has announced today ( Thursday, December 14, 2023 ) that this funding request was rejected. &nbsp,

Although the National Lottery Heritage Fund announcement is a setback, Cllr. Rick Everitt, the leader of the Thanet District Council, stated:” We are committed to bringing the much-loved Clock House back to life as an heritage hub for Ramsgate.” &nbsp,

” I am aware of the Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust’s disappointment at this outcome, but I want to reassure them—as well as the town of Ram-gate—that we will collaborate with them to make the project a success. We will be looking into other funding options even though we wo n’t have the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and we can do this in a timeframe that works for the project.

Within the current Levelling Up funding allocation, work will now begin to review the scheme’s scope.

After all the effort that has gone into this project thus far, we are obviously disappointed by this outcome, said John Walker, chair of the Ramsgate Society. Together with the Thanet District Council and the Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust, we are dedicated to creating a hub for the region’s maritime heritage.

Since 2012, the Steam Museum Trust has leased the Clock House building in Ramsgate Royal Harbour, which is now once again under its control. Since the building’s return, the council has evaluated it for urgent repairs and has begun repairing the electrical wiring so that lighting and temporary heaters can be installed, which will lessen any potential wintertime structural damage.

Due to its ongoing decline in recent years, the Clock House is Grade II * Listed and is listed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. &nbsp,

Visit this page to learn more about the Clock House renovation project.