While I was looking around for the edition of Homes Under the Hammer from a few years ago in which 49-50 Hawley Square, The ex-Conservative Club featured, I stumbled upon an edition on iplayer with a double fronted building on 6-7 Albert Terrace. "Local lads" Adrian and Dave buying a Grade II Listed Georgian seafront property, who announce later they were upset to not to be able to put their own UPVC windows in. Damian Cooke of Cooke and Co. sites the property as ideal for converting into flats. The before and after shots show panelling and historic coving disappearing and the programme stated more than once, that the building's use as a guest house is over. What??? Why would a prominent seafront location not be viable as a guest house? And why would Margate need any more bland, low quality flats that are essentially historic buildings with their hearts ripped out.
The video is available at the moment here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00cfwg0/Homes_Under_the_Hammer_Series_11_Episode_5/
Planning files are here:
http://www.ukplanning.com/ukp/showCaseFile.do;jsessionid=6DB675CB67C3359AF1C3B34C36AB3FB5.wam2?action=show&appType=planning%20folder&appNumber=F/TH/07/1433
You can criticise conversions to flats all you want, but the fact remains that there's no-one to use guest houses or shops anymore.
ReplyDeleteDear anon, you're wrong. There is a shortage of quality guest houses and with a prime position like that, if it was renovated sympathetically, why wouldn't it be viable? There was only the post a few days ago bemoaning the lack of quality rooms in town.
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