Maritime Museum

The information below was received by one correspondent with Thanet District council, it took them over 90 days to respond instead of the 20 days. One wonders what commercial interest there could be in a charity leasing a building from TDC? More to the point why does TDC take 90 days to respond to a request that they have a legal duty to respond in 20 days, and what are they trying to hide or not tell us!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your communication received on ........where you requested information about the Lease for Ramsgate ClockTower (Maritime) Museum.

I can confirm that Thanet District Council holds this information. This information is exempt under section(s) 43 of the Freedom of Information Act and is therefore being withheld.

The information requested is likely to predjudice the commercial interests of the persons (or public authority) and therefore the information is exempt under section 43.

Having considered the public interest, the Department’s decision is therefore to withhold the information.

Sunday Rambles {thanks for the title Michael}

Starting at the port more like Sunday Shambles. A dozen or more HGV parked in the layby and on the verge on top of the KCC fibre optic ducting. No signage for the new LD service cars going in the freight gate and having to be turned around, no sign off any work going on in the lorry park in front of the terminal. Talking to a driver in the cafe the other day they are going to stop using the Trans Europa because they aren't allowed to park when they come off the vessel, he also said there used to be a brilliant cafe in the port that did the best truckers breakfast ever and i quote "because of some f**king bean counter in the port office it was closede down" . The showers and toilets had just been done we had a great cafe and now the port gives us nothing not even somewhere to park.Oleander seemed to be slow to turn at low water no doubt the new vessel would have got half way round and stopped due to lack of water.
The new Vatenfall building looks good but security not in hi viz and smoking when letting someone out of the gate looks a bit slack. Pearson Gore are still tring to rent the land that a birdy tells me London array have an option on and had surveyors down last week.
The harbour looked good though quite a bit of litter, and a veritable garden growing out of the harbour walls, hasn't anyone in TDC heard of pointing.
Nice to see many boat owners down tending their moorings in the strong winds, shows that they look after their boats and don't just use them as a weekend cottage.

Trans Europa + LD Lines

It will be good to see the Ex Prins Filip sailing in to Ramsgate again, I was looking at my picture of her final sailing with the Anglian Man and Reever in attendance. I wonder who is picking up the dredging bill which I expect will be over £300,000. Does it mean the port will be getting a new tug, I can't think the Nore Challenger would be enough to handle a vessel of that size on her own.

Brocklesby

Very sad to hear of the death of the skipper of the Brocklesby who drowned in the harbour. I hope the state of the roadways did not contribute, when the police were down the roads seemed to be thick with ice. I wonder who is responsible for the road clearance TDC or KCC