Efforts to re-open an iconic venue on the Kent coast have taken a major step forward this week. Margate Winter Gardens, found on the Thanet seafront, has sat empty since 2022 when Your Leisure Kent, which ran it on behalf of Thanet District Council (TDC), handed the lease on the historic structure back to the authority due to "a significant backlog of repairs and essential refurbishments".

The then-conservative council chose to close the venue due to the costs of the works, but plans to see the site re-opened have been steadily progressing over the past year. Back in March, TDC announced Westwood One Theatre as the council’s preferred partner to refurbish and reopen the Winter Gardens following a thorough and transparent selection process.

With all pre-conditions now complete, the

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