Council confirms partnership to revive Margate Winter Gardens

EFFORTS to reopen Margate's iconic Winter Gardens have taken a major step forward this week.

- By SAM HONEY

The Winter Gardens

(IAN SCAMMELL)

The historic venue has stood empty since 2022, when Your Leisure Kent - the company which ran the Winter Gardens on behalf of Thanet District Council - returned the site lease to the authority due to “a significant backlog of repairs and essential refurbishments”.

The then-Conservative-run council chose to close the venue due to the costs of the works, but plans to reopen the Winter Gardens have been steadily progressing over the past year.

Back in March, the district council announced Westwood One Theatre as the council’s preferred partner to refurbish and reopen the Winter Gardens following a thorough and transparent selection process.