Would you like to run a Ramsgate shelter café/bar, sauna or watersports facility?
25 September 2025
Commercial opportunities at Ramsgate’s East Cliff lower promenade shelters – call for Expressions of Interest.
Images: Steve Morgan
Introduction
Heritage Lab Ramsgate has agreed a 20-year lease from Thanet District Council to redevelop the eight shelters on Ramsgate’s East Cliff lower promenade.
We will restore and repurpose these historic shelters to form a mixture of spaces that locals and visitors can enjoy for years to come. We are progressing a number of ideas including restoring one to its original purpose, a food and drinks outlet, a sauna, a watersports facility, a multi-purpose space, beach huts and toilets.
We intend to connect power, water and waste services to some or all the shelters. We hope to be opening them for the summer 2026 season, though this will depend on grant submissions, design and works.
Looking directly out to sea, the Art Deco shelters were built in 1936 as part of an ambitious Ramsgate Borough Council project for a new undercliff promenade and chine steps, linking the newly opened Marina Bathing Pool with the clifftop Winterstoke Gardens (now Grade II listed). The shelters form part of the Ramsgate Conservation Area.
Heritage Lab Ramsgate is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), established to restore Ramsgate’s heritage buildings and bring them back into productive use for the benefit of local people, businesses and visitors. We are one of 19 heritage development trusts in the UK. Since 2018, we have completed a number of regeneration projects, creating new jobs and spaces for enterprise, creativity and entertainment. We have attracted over £1m in blended finance to Ramsgate.
The opportunity
We are inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from individuals, community organisations and private operators to run one or more of three commercial units:
- Café/Bar – A high-quality food and beverage offer, family-friendly and complementary to Ramsgate’s seafront economy.
- Watersports Facility – Supporting swimmers, paddleboarders, kayakers, fliteboards and other low-impact activities (NB: jet skis are not permitted, reflecting community feedback).
- Sauna – With potential for cold-water swimming integration. Similar facilities have proven successful in Margate, Whitstable and other coastal locations. This idea was strongly supported in our recent public consultation.
How to apply
Please submit a short Expression of Interest (no more than 3–4 pages). At this stage, we are not asking for detailed business plans – short, imaginative submissions are welcome.
Expression of Interest should include:
- Your name/organisation and contact details.
- Your operational model – sole trader, community enterprise, or private business.
- Which shelter use(s) you are interested in.
- Your concept and vision (max 500 words).
- An outline of your relevant experience and track record (in hospitality, leisure, wellbeing, or similar).
- A high-level overview of the financial approach (pricing model, investment required, expected revenue).
- Indication of required utilities (e.g. water supply, foul drainage, electricity, communications).
- Initial thoughts on how your proposal will contribute to tourism, community benefit and Ramsgate’s regeneration.
- Initial thoughts on how you would manage sustainability, heritage sensitivity and site challenges (marine environment, conservation area, potential biodiversity requirements).
Timeline
- Deadline for Expressions of Interest: Sunday 26 October 2025 (5pm)
- Follow-up discussions with shortlisted parties: Tuesday 28 October 2025
Submission
Please email your Expression of Interest to: [email protected]
Visual references
Draft masterplan and architectural concept images from del Renzio & del Renzio.
Note: the internal layouts are for proof-of-concept purposes only and not intended to form the final design. Each shelter has a floor area of c. 6m x 2m internally.
