40 High Street is to the left in this picture
The plans can be viewed and commented on at the website:
Application number: F/TH/11/0085
The applicant's Design Access Statement claims:
"All attempts at marketing the G/F A3 unit since March 2008 have failed...In essence, it is considered by the agents that at 59m2 the unit is too large to be viable. There is, however, a demand for smaller A3 units. In order to maximise the use of the building, it is therefore proposed that the G/F A3 unit be split into two parts: a new 2 bed flat to the rear facing the sea (accessed off the side stair serving the 1/F accommodation) and a new smaller A3 unit directly accessed from the HighStreet, using the existing entrance.
it should be noted that the majority of the properties along Marine Drive in the locality have residential usage at this floor level (i.e. 1/F level off Marine Drive). There is therefore a clear precendent for residential use...
The proposed works will turn a large vacant retail unit for which there is no market into a smaller more marketable retail unit and an attractive large residential unit."
oh come on, surely they can be a bit more creative than flats.
ReplyDeletemakes me sick.
how about returning it to a lyon tea room/b&b.
council refuse it, you have to, to save Margate
More flats, mean more people, = more unemployed people, there is no extra jobs for them.
ReplyDeletemore flats, mean oversupplying the property market lowering the value of property, making the place attractive for unemployed people from London.
Supply and demand, Supply and demand.
Burger King,= denegation attract people who want to stab you.
A good B&B attracts outside money spent in the local economy.
I am working class, I work at tesco.
ReplyDeletelolololol
Working class as if! Can't we all club together and open something fantastic? What wonderful views this place would have.
ReplyDeleteYes, I also live in a council house seriously.
ReplyDeleteSorry I meant to say Degeneration instead of denegation.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to monopolize.
It's up to you.
No this anon no 1 making this comment - i can't stand the other anon 2
ReplyDeleteLet's not get confused, although it is confusing, I admit. The old Lyons tea room bit (they call it the first floor but from the seafront it is the second floor) already has permission to go into flats. Their comment in the design and access statement about that having been disused for 20 years is therefore a red herring and nothing to do with the current application. This application is just for part of the 'ground floor' which is actually the first floor bit with the sea views.
ReplyDeleteFor the estate agent to support this application by saying there is no market shows their ignorance about what's going on in Margate now. While it is true that the current demand is for smaller units, in a very short time, this large unit would attract interest from a bigger operator. If this plan goes ahead, that opportunity will be lost forever.
Peter - I have to take issue with your vision for Margate. Burger King? We need to talk.
The proposal might not be all that bad in isolation, but we will need to preserve commercial units with the best views for use as viable and sustainable businesses in key locations. If they are looking to create smaller units, it should be looked at dividing front to back, retaining the traditional link on units between the lower high street and the seafront.
ReplyDeleteAs for why we need another fast food takeaway than a restaurant I don't understand this at all Peter. We lack a large quality restaurant in Margate. A building with spectacular views across the main sands on the upper levels with access on to the seafront at the ground floor would make an ideal restaurant/food shop establishment.
I know what you're saying, Peter, but I think you need to up your aspirations. We can do better than a Burger King and in the future, Margate WILL be able to ensure the long-term survival of a quality establishment. Remember this conversation in 2 years' time and you'll see I was right! Burger King has its place in the world but please not there!
ReplyDeletewasnt there a large restaurant 2 storey next door to this property a couple of years ago? tastefully refurbished, stunning sea views... always empty....
ReplyDeletemysteriously burnt out within six months....
" 2 storey restaurant"..apologies
ReplyDeleteYou mean H2O. It wasn't a restaurant. It was a cafe which did far too small a range of food for the size of the building. Decoratively speaking it would have needed a lot more spending on it and hence the need to offer serious restaurant food with enough covers to support a building and staff for that size. it was decorated looking like an MFI showroom. It burned down just as the business had failed.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd like to see all the shops relocate to the pedestrianised part of the high street and covered square, walking through there yesterday looking at all the empty buildings is heart breaking! The rents they still wish to charge down the bottom end and the business rates make it far to prohibitive in my book to run a viable business.
ReplyDelete