Multi-million pound plans to renovate and reopen a beloved historic venue have been given the green light which could see it reopen in 18 months.

Thanet District Council (TDC) has agreed to allow Westwood One Theatre to renovate and reopen the Winter Gardens in Margate which have been empty and in disrepair for years.

The venue was built in 1911 and has hosted community events as well as major musical acts like Blur and Oasis over the years.

However, in 2022 Your Leisure Kent who ran it on behalf of TDC handed the lease on the historic structure back to the council due to “a significant backlog of repairs and essential refurbishments.”

The then-Conservative council chose to close the venue due to the costs of the works.

Cllr Reece Pugh (Con), now leader of the opposition on TDC, explained at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on March 20: “The decision we made under the previous administration to temporarily close the winter gardens was not an easy decision, it was extremely difficult.”

TDC previously thought the structural, mechanical and engineering works needed to the building would amount to about £6 million, but their more recent estimates expect it to be “between £8m and £11m.”

Cllr Rick Everitt (Lab), TDC’s leader, said at the meeting: “This has taken a long while to bring forward because it’s immensely complicated and challenging.”

After tendering the contract to the private sector, TDC has selected Westwood One Theatre as the firm to renovate, reopen and run the Winter Gardens.

Cllr Everitt added: “I can say without question that their approach, their enthusiasm and their interest in providing a facility for the community made them the clear leaders.

“That wouldn’t have been enough if we weren’t satisfied with their financial proposals.”

TDC are set to give the firm, which also restored and runs the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate, £4m towards the works which the Westwood One Theatre will match “pound for pound.”

The £4m being stumped up by TDC was originally meant to be given to Dreamland for works there as part of the ‘levelling-up’ of Margate, but the former refused that funding last February and it was reallocated to the Winter Gardens.

Westwood One Theatre intend to add a new accessible entrance to the venue, as well as a new rooftop bar/restaurant, four new bars throughout the building, a drama school, a day nursery and an education centre.

TDC’s cabinet report explains: “Westwood One Theatre estimated the time line for the complete refurbishment and reopening to be around 2 years from the point of agreeing a lease and grant agreement.

“By prioritising works to the main hall and Queen’s Hall these could be open in around 15 - 18 months, from the point of agreeing the lease.”

The cabinet agreed on March 20 to award the contract to Westwood One Theatre.