40 CONTEXT 188 : JUNE 2026 outrage and frustration over the decision, not least because they regard the additional licences provided to the owners for musical events as a favour that has now been repaid with the Scenic Railway being taken out of operation. Feelings are running high. The owner, Sands Heritage Ltd, knows that this is a deeply unpopular decision. But as owner it is its choice to make. Even the council members are frustrated by the fact that they have no power to force a different decision. This is where a heritage designation shows its weaknesses.There is no breaking down a Grade II* listing to understand – or protect – the particular needs of the asset; no category that distinguishes between harbours or houses or public buildings; and no outline of what amounts to substantial harm. No public tool for protection because what constitutes substantial harm to one has no bearing on another. As a rollercoaster ride is an experience, not being able to ride it must surely be considered substantial harm because it changes the nature of how one experiences the structure. With no documentation being shared, it can only be supposed that the decision is financial. Regarding the rarity of the Scenic Railway, it must be assumed that the insurance premium is colossal, given that it is a ride open to the public. As the only scenic railway in the UK, there is no other ride that this can be compared to as a model of risk. We must consider how decisions such as this will impact other heritage assets of high designation open to the public, since many do not generate sufficient income to cover a high-value insurance premium. The statutory designations given to our most precious heritage assets are designed to protect them for future generations. Being able to experience the past in a way similar to its first owners or users brings history alive. Because of the social context, a heritage amusement park without heritage rides provides no connection to that time. Simply looking at the structure without hearing its movement or seeing people’s enjoyment, reduces it to being a sculpture. Without a case-by-case understanding of an asset’s particular attributes and vulnerabilities, including implications for condition and safety, its future is dictated by an owner’s ability to pay for insurance. It would seem that heritage designation should categorise individual assets more particularly, since heritage is a resource for everyone to enjoy, and protection was not given on the basis of insurance. The ride has a feel of the Wild West, its timber framework like American water towers or windmills. (Photo: Diane Harvey-White) Diane Harvey-White is a heritage advisor and author of the forthcoming book Where Sea Meets the Land: Ramsgate Royal Harbour.
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