Margate down the tubes

A MEETING was held with Ray Nkonyeni Municipality’s municipal manager Max Mbili last Thursday about the non-functional Margate Olympic pool and other serious outstanding issues, including the derelict amusement park.

Councillor Dave Watson said some of the other issues to be discussed are the abandoned flats on Panorama Parade and the broken walkway railings.

Cllr Watson will be meeting directly with Mr Mbili after the heads of departments failed to answer his demands for status updates.

“Unless these issues are resolved, this is going to escalate,” he said.

The Olympic pool, closed for over eight months, is now serving as a giant pond for breeding mosquitoes.

People planning their holiday around spending time at the Olympic pool were deeply disappointed when they arrived at the facility only to discover it was closed over the holiday period.

Despite engineers being seen at the pool recently, it is unclear when it will restored.

Its closure has negatively affected Sharon and Mike Jones, the owners of Bambi Ice Cream Parlour, who are 40 percent down in terms of sales. “It’s so sad as many people depend on the beachfront for their livelihood.”

Their figures for the rental of umbrellas show that visitors to the beachfront are dwindling. In 2015, the number of umbrellas rented was 2000 which dropped to 1700 in 2016, and the number of tokens sold for the pool has dropped from 3500 in 2015 to zero.

“We have never had to sit and wait for customers,” said Mr Jones. Even more concerning, Mr Jones said that the couple haven’t cut corners but rather invested in new machinery, improved their signage and increased the level of their stock and staff.

“People don’t realise the important role the Olympic pool plays in Margate. For instance, where do you think the lifeguards do their training?”

“People who have been holidaying on the coast for years, have told us that they have never seen the beachfront in such a shocking state and due to the mess choose to visit other beaches. Others have said that they are selling their properties and not coming back.”

As for the rest of Margate beachfront, it looks tatty and unkept. Unsupervised municipal workers spend more time sitting/sleeping than working.

Meanwhile, the Amusement Park is a shambles with drug dealers, prostitutes and vagrants making it their ‘hang out’ place. Businesses are now calling for the place to be demolished.

“It’s so sad to see this stretch of Margate in such a poor state, when it has so much potential. It could be a world-class tourist attraction.”

“Month-end and weekends bring drunk patrons who smash bottles, litter and urinate everywhere. We need more visible patrols,” said Mr Jones.

Emails from the Herald to municipality’s spokesman, Simon April, regarding the nonfunctional Olympic pool have gone unanswered.