News

Leas Lift supporters who demonstrated last week to save the historic tourist attraction which was threatened with closure, have won a reprieve after Shepway's Cabinet decided to carry on running the historic water lift throughout the remaining period of its lease.

Negotiations will continue between Shepway Council and the lift’s owners, The Radnor Estate, to find a way to secure the lift’s continued operation after the lease runs out on 30 June.

A meeting of Shepway’s Cabinet on Wednesday (15 April) also agreed to keep money to operate the lift in the current year’s budget.

“I think this demonstrates our commitment to see the lift continue to operate,” said Council Leader, Robert Bliss after the meeting.

Cabinet had been asked by the Corporate Scrutiny to look again at its earlier decision to stop operating the lift immediately and to find a way of keeping it running for this year and beyond.

“What most people don’t realise is that the council does not want to see the lift close. It wasn’t just operating and maintenance costs that influenced our original decision. We had to look at a range of issues that were, and remain, commercially confidential and therefore were not able to be shared with the public. This includes lease arrangements that, had decision to end the lease not been taken, would have placed onerous and significant financial obligations on the council.”

Cllr Bliss added that if the Radnor Estate was prepared to offer the operation of the lift under licence without the obligations of the lease, he was sure the council could work with a community group to ensure the lift kept running.

“I will write directly to Lord Radnor asking for a meeting with him so that we can agree what the position of the Estate and the Council is. We can then instruct our respective officers on a way forward.” .