12-15 Cliff Terrace - to be sold ay auction

What a journey it has been for 12-15 Cliff Terrace. Heralded a resounding success in May 2008 as a flagship project for KCC No Use Empty Scheme, the building stood empty until January 2010. The developer, Wards Renovation and Construction Limited (Company Registration No. 5166962), owned by Ramsgate FC's Jim Ward, has gone into receivership.

The whole site has is being sold at auction on December 15th with a guide price of £350k-£360k. The series of buildings remains under one title and has not been divided into separate leases, no matter how many banners were displayed advertising the sale of 'luxury flats'. The details of the sale at the auctioneers state there are 10 flats with rents as low as £60 per week. So just how much of a success is this site? The grave risk is now that with annual rental income of £54k that this stacks up for bottom of the market rental investors.

Is this really the best outcome for a grade II listed building that was hailed as a major success of regeneration?

One would hope that a building control completion certificate has been issued, given the fact that young families are tenants in the building.

And for the future? Well, the interior renovation being far from luxury, then perhaps someone will come along to return the building to it's rightful glory as a restaurant with letting rooms for tourism.

Here are photographs we have taken of the building in the last few years.

Search this blog for 'cliff terrace' to find the story on how this has happened.

Cliff Terrace the story continues

The press release from TDC in November 2008 stated that the renovation at Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville was a success story of the No Use Empty Scheme with Councillor Zita Wiltshire stating:

“Seeing this beautiful building finally brought back into use is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of our Empty Property Strategy to date. It’s a stunning property that’s well known to many local people and it’s excellent to see it now being used to house people again. Our programme of bringing empty properties back into use has achieved some considerable successes in the last few months, with 77 Eastern Esplanade further along the seafront in Cliftonville also being returned to use for shared ownership flats. It just goes to show the achievements that can be made when pressure is put on owners to bring their properties back into use, with 170 properties brought back into use with the help of the council over the last two years.”

However, as we've posted here, it would be a further 18 months when we paid a visit to the building in December 2009 and we posted photographs of the rear facade with no secure windows, no utilities in place, and there was clear evidence of water ingress. And most importantly the building was uninhabited and looking derelict again. It then took until around June 2010 for there to be people living in the end building of 14 and 15, whereas 12 and 13 remain empty.

We have recently learned through recent Freedom of Information requests that:

- No funds were actually allocated to the developers or the owners from the KCC No Use Empty Scheme.
- That the building currently has not got a building control completion certificate.

FOI Enquiry to KCC

FOI Enquiry to TDC

Yet 14 and 15 have people living in there.

So what's going on?

We also see from the Land Registry records no evidence of a property having sold on the whole of Cliff Terrace, Margate since 2006.

How much of a success and a flagship project is this site? It is standing half empty and really, seeing as it has no completion certificate should this have been removed from the threat of CPO and triumphed as a success?

Google's useful caching facility reveals the TDC press release from November 14th 2008 that for some reason is no longer active on their website. (Why do they do this messing around with URLs?)

Work completed on eyesore property
An eyesore property in Cliftonville that was threatened with compulsory purchase action by Thanet District Council, has been brought back into use.

Work has now been completed on the group of buildings at 12 – 15 Cliff Terrace, opposite the Lido, which had been empty for almost a decade. Cabinet Members agreed in July 2006 to take compulsory purchase action using funding from the “No Use Empty” campaign, which brings together Thanet, Dover, Shepway and Swale District Councils with Kent County Council. This brings extra resources to tackle the problem of long-term empty properties and enhances the Empty Property Strategy already in place in Thanet.

The owner was then informed of the council’s decision and told that the required work could be either be carried out immediately by him or the building could be sold to a developer with an agreed programme of work, but if neither happened, the property would be compulsorily purchased.

The owner chose to sell the property to a developer, with a planning application submitted in July 2007 to convert the former shop units on the ground floor and the accommodation above into 13 flats. Wards Renovation and Construction Ltd. have now completed the work.

Cllr. Zita Wiltshire, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Seeing this beautiful building finally brought back into use is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of our Empty Property Strategy to date. It’s a stunning property that’s well known to many local people and it’s excellent to see it now being used to house people again. Our programme of bringing empty properties back into use has achieved some considerable successes in the last few months, with 77 Eastern Esplanade further along the seafront in Cliftonville also being returned to use for shared ownership flats. It just goes to show the achievements that can be made when pressure is put on owners to bring their properties back into use, with 170 properties brought back into use with the help of the council over the last two years.”

Dave Goulding, Property Development Manager, from Wards Renovation and Construction Ltd. said: “We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved with this property. It’s been a very difficult project with a number of complications and the building was in a worse state of repair than had been first envisaged. This presented us with a number of challenges as work got underway, but the result has been excellent. We’ve been determined to keep as many features as we possibly could and to retain the exterior look of the property and we feel that we’ve been successful in achieving that.”

Publication date: 11 November, 2008
ENDS

No Use Empty Scheme Qustions

Picked up on ECR this week. Questions raised on the efficiency of the No Use Empty scheme at the Thanet Local Board meeting held at the Media Centre.

Thanet Local Board meeting minutes here.

Things are happening at Cliff Terrace

Since we reported of the sorry state of the two year renovation at Cliff Terrace a s few weeks ago, things have started moving again. There were utilities vans with the road dug up in front and now a huge vinyl banner has been unfurled advertising 2 bed luxury apartments for rent with a mobile phone number.

Whilst we were interested, we also called the estate agent advertising the flats for sale. They reported that there was only minor snagging works to be undertaken but that the flats were for sale. They were unsure what leases were available though.

Do these look like finished luxury flats to you?

The new paintwork is already flaking and it's not yet occuppied. Well done No Use Empty scheme.

Cliff Terrace - the sorry state of the building

So, I paid a visit to Cliff Terrace a few days ago to check out how successful and how high quality the works have been to this iconic and now Grade II listed building. How utterly depressing and sad is the reality. The building still bears the estate agent banners offering flats for sale from £99,000. But it is instantly clear why this whole block stands empty. It isn't finished. And not only is it not finished, it has been left standing open to the elements in such a state that there has been water ingress and the building is very much unsecured. The building does not have connected services and no Building Control sign off. This is over two years since the development began. Not quite the success story put out on page 8 of the Margate Renewal Partnership press release in April 2008. Download the PDF here The article declared:

"Work is finally underway to transform a beautiful group of empty buildings in Cliftonville, after intervention from Thanet District Council."

The article states that the alternative course of action to the Cabinet Approved funding for CPO under the "No Use Empty Campaign" was for a voluntary sale to take place from the owner, (Mr Houghton) who had let the building stand in disrepair for over a decade to a developer (Jim Ward of Ramsgate FC's Ward and Partners) who would then apply for planning permission to convert the building to residential use.

But according to the Land Registry, the building has not yet been sold to the developer, yet Planning Permission was granted and works started and then not finished.

Did TDC stipulate a timeframe for this development to take place?

Perhaps TDC should revive the threat of CPO and to take this building back into care as was the wish of many people in the area. The building is still very much at risk as it was in 2007. We are now in 2010.

This is still one of the finest buildings in the area and if returned to it's original use, would provide quality guest accommodation in the exact location that TDC and the Margate Renewal Partnership site as being a key area to encourage the development of quality guest accommodation. Whereas Mike Thompson from TDC's Empty Property scheme claimed at the time, that this building at this location is 'not viable as commerical use'.

How out of step are some council departments with the authority's own stated regeneration plans?

And just how viable are tiny flats butted right up to the main road in Cliftonville?

Clearly not very, given the wealth of vacant flats on the ground floor and basement levels throughout the area. The whole point of this building is the view and the fact it raises the occupants up above the level of the street. It was constructed for this very purpose. You would have gone in through the ground floor into the shop and then up to the tea rooms on the floors above. There is balance achieved throughout the whole building. Carve it up and cut off the basement and ground floor you do nothing but provide more blight to the high street. And what is it like to live inside a tiny room in a shop front? Obviously not attractive or there would have been a queue of people wishing to take it on.

Let us not also forget how the planning permission was granted to convert from commercial to 100% residential. It was granted under delegated powers against the advice of TDC's own conservation architect. A fact that lead the conservation architect to lodge an official complaint:

Brian White – Head of Development Services
Thanet District Council
Cecil Street
Margate
Kent
CT9 1XZ

21st December 2007

Dear Mr. White,

L/TH/07/1527 – 14-15 Cliff Terrace, Margate
FORMAL COMPLAINT

The above building was listed on 15th October 2007. This necessitated the submission of a listed building consent following the previous granting of planning consent for the conversion of the building in to flats.

The building is a purpose built shop with a tearoom and letting rooms over. The list description notes the remains of the historic shopfront.

In common with the planning application, the listed building consent application proposed alterations to the ground floor to facilitate a domestic conversion. Whilst such an alteration might be acceptable in a building that was not listed, it departed from the original form of the building in a manner that would be detrimental to its historic character. Any alteration to this building should serve to re-enforce that character – as stated in policy HE1 of the Thanet Local plan.

I gave my advice on this application to the case officer by e-mail on 7th December. Upon discussion, the case officer told me that she did not intend to follow this advice. When questioned as to why this might be the case, she responded that she was the planning officer.

I am employed by both this Authority and English Heritage to advise on matters concerning the historic built environment, especially listed buildings. I am a chartered Architect and a full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

In a situation such as this, one affecting the character of a listed building, my advice should be the paramount consideration in the determination of the application. There is no point in employing me if my opinion, on matters that I am uniquely qualified to opine, is ignored.

On the face of it, it would appear that the decision to grant this consent was the unilateral decision of the planning officer. This being the case I wish to bring a formal complaint against the case officer for professional misconduct.

Yours sincerely,


Nick Dermott IHBC RIBA

Cliff Terrace in her prime circa. 1900

Thanks to a secret admirer, we get to see how 14-15 Cliff Terrace looked in her prime in this original postcard. The postcard is from 1900 and shows the ground floor as a pastry cook and confectioner shop. Next door at 13 and 12 are clearly high quality shops at the same period. Which adds to the argument that they have enough historical history as shops for them to remain so.

Back for more. Listed Building Consent Application for 14-15 Cliff Terrace

So, it seems the developer is intent on pushing through the proposal to convert the recently listed tea room buildings at 14-15 Cliff Terrace, Margate. An application has been made for Listed Building Consent (L/TH/07/1527) at TDC. Sadly, the consultation process seems to be lacking yet again. There is no site notice in the vicinity of the site and the application, which is a requirement for applications that concern listed buildings. The application has so far also not turned up on the UK Planning site. A Stage 1 complaint has been lodged with TDC. We'll see what if anything that produces. The consultation for this application ends November 29th. The case officer is Cherry Butcher 01843 577634 cherry.butcher@thanet.gov.uk

TDC have replied stating:

We would welcome any comments that you may have regarding the proposed works. I would like to clarify that a site notice will be posted on site within the next week, giving a further 21 days consultation, and an advert has been placed in the Thanet Extra.

As with all applications, the plans are available to view at the Council offices, and additionally are published online within 5 days of the date of the letter notifying you of this application, which should be by tomorrow. Essentially the plans remain as per the planning application, and a Design and Access Statement relating to the listed building has also been submitted. If you have any difficulty in accessing these plans please do not hesitate to contact me.

So, we shall see...

She's Listed!

I've been away from this blog for a while. Sorry about that. But my return comes with good news. The grand old lady, the tea rooms of 14 & 15 Cliff Terrace, Margate, are now Grade II listed. This means that she has been deemed to be a"particularly important building of more than special interest". Listed planning consent will have to be applied for in addition to the planning permission granted (TDC, in their wisdom, did pass the previous application under delegated powers) before any work may commence. So far, there's been no activity on site, so we shall wait and see what happens. The windows and the use of the ground floor as a business are now afforded increased protection.

The report from English Heritage is testament to what we have in Margate that is worth preserving:

CONTEXT
We have been asked to assess 14-15 Cliff Terrace for listing alongside 12-13 Cliff Terrace (see separate case UID: 164702). The buildings are the subject of a planning application, due for determination in the coming weeks, which proposes their conversion to 10 flats and entails the demolition of parts of the building and the erection of a three storey extension to the rear. 12-15 Cliff Terrace are in the Margate Conservation Area. English Heritage was advised that there was a threat of pre-emptive demolition if we notified the owners about the application to list the buildings; as a result no internal inspection has been possible.

HISTORY
Cliff Terrace dates from the early-C19 and was originally an L-shaped terrace with five three storey houses running north-south, perpendicular to the seafront, and further houses running east-west. These Georgian buildings survive, albeit much altered, at Nos. 10-13 Cliff Terrace. In the mid-C19, possibly in 1852 when records suggest the terrace was redeveloped, No. 14-15 Cliff Terrace was rebuilt to create prominent corner building which survives today. This was no doubt to take full advantage of the panoramic sea views offered by the site. The work was certainly
completed before the early 1870s and historic maps of that date show the terrace's new terminus at No. 14-15 Cliff Villas. It is likely that the new buildings were rooms for boarding, demand for which had been generated by Margate's booming popularity as a seaside resort. Internal inspection may reveal how each of the rooms were accessed, most likely off a central staircase and landings. The fascia and consoles of the shops appear to be original suggesting there were never ground floor
residences; indeed late-C19 directories reveal that one of the shops housed W H Strand, a florist and fruitier.

Margate is a town of great significance in the history of the English seaside resort. Alongside Scarborough, Whitby and Brighton, it has a claim to be the country's first seaside destination and was certainly the first resort to boast sea water bathing facilities. Margate's terraced houses are an important component of its history and the town was the first to reinterpret the squares of Georgian London in a seaside setting: Cecil Square was built by 1769, followed by Hawley Square in the 1770s. The terrace endured as the principal domestic form in Margate throughout the C19.

Recommended Grade: II

Outcome: Yes, list particularly along the seafront where that most coveted feature in holiday accommodation - the sea view - necessitated the high density development that terraces provided. Many of Margate's terraces are very fine and in their architecture they reflect the popularity and prosperity of the town in the Georgian and Victoria periods. A number are listed for this special architectural and historic interest including Buenos Ayres of c1803, Fort Crescent of 1825-30 and Royal Crescent of the
1850s (all Grade II).

DESCRIPTION
Nos. 14 -15 Cliff Terrace is a four-storey plus attic block in red brick and is mid-C19 in date and character. The most impressive feature of Nos. 14-15 Cliff Terrace is the dramatic fenestration: two large, three-storey oriel windows dominate each of the two seaward elevations. Barely any brickwork is visible, aside from the last bay on the north elevation, suggesting that an unusual structural approach may have been used in the building's construction to allow for the almost blanket coverage of the elevations with windows. The oriels are four-light windows with moulded timber mullions, dentil cornices in the entablatures and, on the upper two storeys, segmental or triangular pediments. The lights contain sash windows, the outer ones using curved glass, and all are original. The ground floor contains traces of C19 shop fronts including consoles and a fascia with dentil cornice. Much of the rest of the shop fronts is later work. The elevations are terminated by a bracket cornice and the attic storey with dormer windows and three ranges of chimney stacks.

ASSESSMENT
Increasingly greater selectivity is required when recommending terraced houses built after 1840 for listing due to the great numbers that were built and that survive. Over the mid to late-C19, terraced housing became the preserve of the lower middle classes and upmarket terraces, which tend to be of greater architectural interest, were concentrated in places where dense development was required such as the seaside (in resorts like Teignmouth, Devon or Saltburn, North Yorkshire) or newly laid out areas of cities (Pimlico in London and Park Place in Sunderland are examples). Generally where high quality developments of terraced housing such as these survive, particularly with a strong townscape or streetscape context, they merit listing (most of the terraces mentioned above are listed at Grade II). The requisite quality and distinctiveness is certainly present at 14-15 Cliff Terrace: the red brick Queen Anne-style elevations with classical detailing are lively and the height of the building is notable, reflecting the need to maximise the provision of rooms for boarding along the seafront. Even more remarkable is the fenestration, which is exceptionally extensive, even in the seaside context. Surprisingly, none of the windows have been replaced in plastic and the consistency of the original timber sashes is noteworthy. The building is of special interest in epitomising two of the
principal characteristics of seaside architecture: building tall and building to exploit seaviews. Advances in construction techniques which allowed more extensive fenestration along with the arrival of plate glass enabled Victorian developers to take advantage of this seaside location to a fuller extent than their Georgian predecessors, who built the much smaller and more conventional houses alongside No. 14-15 Cliff Terrace. The final point is drawn out further by Cliff Terrace's westerly neighbour, the Grade II-listed 1-24 Fort Paragon, a terrace of 1830 which was refaced in 1853. The proximity of the two rows shows the very different approach to seaside terrace building in the Georgian and Victorian eras: in comparison to the oriel-windowed 14-15 Cliff Terrace, which is clearly tailored to take advantage
of the seaside site, the balconies of Fort Paragon are the only concession to the location. Whereas Cliff Terrace has two prominent seaward elevations, only the east façade of Fort Paragon is articulated. Together, the two terraces illustrate two important phases in the development of

Margate as a seaside resort in the late-C18 and C19 and Cliff Terrace has group value with Fort Paragon. Houses of the Victorian era are underrepresented on the Margate list. Whereas the majority of pre-1840 terraces where a significant proportion of the original fabric remains are listed, even some of the high quality developments of the 1850s and later have no statutory protection through designation. 14-15 Cliff Terrace is one such example, a distinctive and characterful Victorian building which evidences some of the architectural fashions and constructional developments of that era, which is clearly worthy of listing.

CONCLUSION
14-15 Cliff Terrace are recommended for listing for their special architectural and historic interest and group value.

Summary of Importance:
14-15 Cliff Villas are recommended for listing for the following principal reasons:
* the red brick Queen Anne-style elevations with classical detailing are lively and the height of the building is notable, reflecting the need to maximise the provision of rooms for boarding along the seafront
* even more remarkable is the fenestration, clearly tailored so that holiday boarders could enjoy much-coveted sea views;
* the consistent survival of the original timber sashes and glazing is noteworthy;
* 14-15 Cliff Terrace also has strong contextual interest, standing in contrast to and having group value with the Grade II-listed Fort Paragon.

GV II
CLIFF TERRACE
No. 14 & 1515-OCT-2007
End of terrace building, mid-C19, with later alterations particularly to ground floor shops.

EXTERIOR: Nos. 14 -15 Cliff Terrace is a four-storey plus attic block in red brick and is mid-C19 in date and character. The most impressive feature of Nos. 14-15 Cliff Terrace is the dramatic fenestration: two large, three-storey oriel windows dominate each of the two seaward elevations. Barely any brickwork is visible, aside from the last bay on the north elevation, suggesting that an unusual structural approach may have been used in the building's construction to allow for the almost blanket coverage of the elevations with windows. The oriels are four-light windows with moulded timber mullions, dentil cornices in the entablatures and, on the upper two storeys, segmental or triangular pediments. The lights contain sash windows, the outer ones using curved glass, and all are original.
The ground floor contains traces of C19 shop fronts including consoles and a fascia with dentil cornice. Much of the rest of the shop fronts is later work. The elevations are terminated by a bracket cornice and the attic storey with dormer windows and three ranges of chimney stacks.
164760 Case UID: Proposed LBS UID: 504191
Proposed List Entry

More info on English Heritage's Seaside Heritage project here

12-15 Cliff Terrace - Planning Consultation - Last Day for Objections

Today (10th October) is the last day Thanet Council have stated they will accept objections for planning application TH/07/0940 for 12-15 Cliff Terrace, Margate. It still seems a short and under advertised consultation period from when the last set of revised plans were submitted on Oct 1st. But this has been their final word. It's worth noting that the local authority should have regard to the Good Practice section of DoE Circular 15/92 which in reference to changed plans states the following:

Notification of changes, conditions, reserved matters

25. There is no statutory obligation on local planning authorities to publicise changes to applications once they are accepted as valid, or required by a condition on a previous application (for example, a time-limited permission), or for the approval of reserved matters following the grant of outline planning permission. Nevertheless, such matters are often of most concern to objectors. It will be at the discretion of the local planning authority to decide whether further publicity is desirable, taking into account the following considerations:

(a) were objections or reservations raised at an earlier stage substantial and, in the view of the local authority enough to justify further publicity?
(b) are the proposed changes significant?
(c) did earlier views cover the matters now under consideration?
(d) are the matters now under consideration likely to be of concern to parties not previously notified?

To date, there has been no evidence of a site notice ever being posted at the site, nevermind being informed of the two sets of revised plans with extensive changes submitted on September 14th and then October 1st.

12-15 Cliff Terrace - Planning Consultation Extended

Thanet Council stated today that the consultation period for the application TH/07/0940 for 12-15 Cliff terrace, Margate has been extended to October the 8th. This is to account for the revised plans that have been submitted. At the time of writing, it is hoever unclear what is exact status of the statutory consultation undertaken as there are no signs up outside the property.

The planning case officer to send comments and/or objections is Ms. Cherry Butcher: cherry.butcher@thanet.gov.uk

Building at Risk? 12-15 Cliff Terrace

The collection of Victorian buildings at 12-15 Cliff Terrace is one of Margate's most striking landmark sites. The site was originally a tearoom with diners seated on the first floor, enjoying the amazing sea views. The ground floor seafront outlets were shops and a cafe.



Situated at the corner, opposite the soon to be re-developed Lido, the building is one of Margate's seafront properties that has, until now, survived intact. The building has been under the same family ownership since the 1940's, and has stood empty for well over a decade and the deterioration of the site has been cause for concern.



The corner building has beautiful protruding curved glass sash windows covering almost the entire elevations.

There was, until last week, an intact, original chemist's shop on the side complete with original bespoke wooden shop fittings. The fact a shop interior survived so long is pretty amazing, given the frequency retail outlets undergo change of occupancy. Sadly, the chemist shop interior I photographed two weeks ago has now been removed.The loss of the shop interior while English Heritage were assessing the building for spot listing does not bode well for the future preservation of the site.


Chemist Shop Interior September 8th 2007


Chemist Shop Interior September 30th 2007

Many local people thought its future conservation had been safeguarded with Thanet District Council's threat in June 2006 of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). However, the CPO was put on the back burner and a local developer, believed to be Jim Ward of Ramsgate FC, has submitted planning permission to convert the entire site to 10 flats. The application is actually by Ward Renovation and Construction Limited, which at the time of writing is not a registered UK limited company.

Many pointed to the fact that being situated in a designated Conservation Area, that this would somehow ensure the buildings' unique features be protected in the future. This is sadly not the case. Conservation Areas are unable to preserve interiors. The removal of the chemist shop interior that has now happened is a sad representation of this. If the building were listed then this would have protected the shop units and also ensure that the fenestration is exempt from having to comply with the necessary building regulations when converting into new flats.

The loss of the shopfronts and units to residential is a sad loss for the area for such a prominent, key seafront site. Shops rarely make ideal residential homes for the occupants and they also negatively impact on the streetscape. The application also contains extensive modification to the shop fronts, which given the detail of the original frontages that have survived, such as the blinds and canopies and curved glass frontages, will have a negative impact on the site.



Given the site's location on the seafront at the gateway to Cliftonville and directly opposite the Lido, the proposed loss of retail and commerical space at street level seems totally inappropriate. Examples of Margate's cultural heritage that have survived should be protected as something to be proud of. There is the example of the seabathing hospital development that has proven that Margate can sustain high quality residential development and refurbishment of a listed building. Here it seems the core aims of the Council's Empty Property scheme, who have worked over the years to bring the building back into use, to be out of step with buildings of architectural significance and of the Council's own regeneration aims for the area as a whole.

The upper floors would make ideal apartments given the seafront location. But there is a strong case that the ground floor retail outlets should be preserved. What vision is there for Margate if a viable use for seafront commerical space in one of the key regeneration areas, opposite a major development site cannot be envisaged?

The planning application reference is F/TH/07/0947. It can still be viewed and comments submitted online by visiting UK Planning and popping in 07/0947 on the Thanet Council page . There have been recent amendments to the application in the last week or so, however, they still propose to convert the shops into flats. The changes to the shopfront elevations include the removal of the original blinds and canopies and the extensive bricking up of what was previously a shopfront. One hopes that this site can be lovingly restored to its former glory and return to a place of pride at the gateway to Cliftonville.

The case officer at English Heritage assessing the site for spot listing is Mr Mike German. He can be contacted by email at mike.german@english-heritage.org.uk or by phone:
020 7973 3113.