Future High Street Fund
In 2018 Central Government launched the Future High Street Fund, a £675 million funding scheme set up to help local areas to respond to and adapt to changes.
The aim of the fund was to renew and reshape town centres and high streets, improving experience, driving growth and ensuring future economic sustainability.
In May 2021, Ramsgate was awarded £2.7m to support two projects aimed at making our high street and town centre fit for the future.
The projects, recognising that visitors to Ramsgate primarily visit the Royal Harbour, are focused on encouraging people into the Town Centre by improving pedestrian access in the area and repurposing a building within a key thoroughfare between the Harbour and Town Centre.
Creative Workspace
This project will provide workspace in the town centre for the creative industries. Housed in a long term vacant property, the funding will allow for this previous retail premises to be repurposed. This will help to improve the street scene and bring footfall into the town centre.
The aim of the Highway scheme is to improve the pedestrian access and accessibility from the Royal Harbour into Harbour Street, and ultimately the high street. This will be achieved by reducing the dominance of the road, improving sitelines and making it easier for people to access the high street.The ambition is that the high street will benefit from the visitors to the Royal Harbour by making Harbour Street and the High Street more attractive and accessible.Highway Plans have been developed based on the Future High Street Funds project outcomes. Public consultation took place in October and November of 2021, the findings of this can be found here.