It seems not a week goes by without one of the national papers covering Margate regeneration in one way or another - it’s The Guardian’s turn this week.

Mary O’Hara raises the perceived idea of seaside decline, and suggests, with particular focus on Margate, that it’s time to dispel the myth that coastal resorts are in a state of terminal decline.

“I suppose the popular press would say [seaside towns] are under threat, but the reality is that they are changing, and they have been for 300 years,” Brodie says. “Decline assumes that it’s all negative. Some are still on the way down, but in other places you are seeing upturns.”

He says Margate is a good example of how small-scale, targeted, locally-coordinated projects can help inspire a turnaround. Standing in a once rundown Victorian electricity substation that has been gutted, whitewashed and taken over by artists, Brodie says he is convinced that taking advantage of heritage in this way can be a visible step in the right direction. “I think [the building] was derelict for many years before it came into use, and it’s interesting to see new projects like this. I think from these small-scale projects you can start to build a momentum hopefully for development - in this case, for development in the Old Town area of Margate. It is an example of what’s possible.”

I’m often skeptical when Margate appears in the media - in many cases it appears the journalists regurgitate council spiel about regeneration, rather than visiting for themselves, but in my opinion today’s article gives a fair idea of where Margate stands.
We know Margate isn’t perfect, and so does the writer, but it acknowledges how good the opportunities for Margate are. There is alot of work to do - alot of Margate suffers from seaside shabbiness, but there is a real feeling that people are keen to make changes.

In Margate, physical signs of regeneration are everywhere. On one stretch of its long sandy beach, the grand Victorian Sea Bathing hospital, which was fast becoming a neglected eyesore, has been turned into luxury flats, in a development that has remained sympathetic to the building’s heritage. Meanwhile, the Margate Renewal Partnership, a collaboration between Thanet district council and other local bodies, is coordinating investment in a range of projects, from housing improvement to revamping civic spaces and the heritage of the Old Town.

As for the future, Margate has been capitalising on a burgeoning reputation for the arts. The building and burning last year of Antony Gormley’s spectacular Waste Man, a 25ft-tall construction made from the detritus of modern consumer society, is an example. But the flagship is likely to be the opening of the Turner Contemporary Gallery near the town’s harbour, and scheduled for completion in 2009.

Even at Dreamland, there is a possibility of new life. A group is campaigning to preserve the site, its rollercoaster - the only such structure to have Grade II listed status - and for fresh investment to keep the park as a going concern.