To Cllr Rick Everitt, Leader of Thanet District Council.

Thanet District Council have announced their intention to sell the old Pierremont Park service depot on the open market.  TDC want to invite bids from interested parties, with their stated intention initially being to have a sale agreed before the end of 2025, without public consultation. The timescale they are working to is now unclear. It all seems to be taking rather longer than they had initially planned. 

We the undersigned request that this decision is reversed.  The site should be used only for purposes which will benefit the community.  It can only be accessed via a path through part of the park itself, and any commercial development is likely to damage the park environment and lead to a loss of trees and shrubs.  The access path is wide enough for a vehicle, but it is only wide enough for the occasional small service vehicle and is in constant use by park users including small children, the elderly and dog walkers.  Currently it is a pleasant leafy path and it should remain as such. The site itself is home to all kinds of wildlife, including a pond which may have newts. Any use of the site needs to consider the rich biodiversity it contains.

Instead of being sold subject to bids, we propose that TDC should work with the Town Council to agree a deal whereby ownership of the site can be transferred to the Town Council who can then work with community groups like Friends of Pierremont Park and funders to bring it back into community use - for example, for town gardeners and street cleaners, as a community  events space or hub,  providing opportunities for volunteers, preserving wildlife, practicing horticulture, selling books or running classes.  Such community uses would enhance the park as a whole and improve the fabric of our town.  The current rushed plan to dispose of the site on the open market is unfair on the community and should be withdrawn, in favour of consultation and collaborative working to find a better solution. 

We are petitioning TDC Leader, Rick Everitt and the TDC Cabinet to put the community first. Stop the plan to sell the site on the open market and instead negotiate a suitable transfer to Broadstairs Town Council.