Plastic windows installed on Margate's Grade II listed Stone Pier tower

What have they done!

I noticed today that the tower on Margate's Grade II listed Stone Pier (aka the Harbour Arm) had scaffolding up and as I got closer I thought it looked odd. All of the metal framed windows have been removed and replaced with UPVC plastic! The tower has also been painted a shade of what I can only describe as a cream magnolia. It looks awful. Something between a kitchen extension and a porta-cabin.

According to Thanet District Council's planning enquiry line (01843 577150) there's not been an application for Listed Building Consent nor landlord's permission.

Whoever has done these works to this much loved, prominent Margate landmark which had a delicate industrial character looking out to sea, seems to have just turned up and carried out the works without the necessary permissions.

11 and 13 Marine Gardens

This week I notified Thanet Council's Planning Enforcement department regarding a couple of sites along the seafront at Marine Gardens that are really dragging the area down. Specifically, 11 Marine Gardens and Clock Tower News at 13 Marine Gardens.

Wouldn't it be great for the whole of the seafront to be improved now Dreamland is open?

11 Marine Gardens



Grade II Listed Georgian building that had until a few years ago stood empty for years with a commercial restaurant space at ground level. Sadly, it was granted permission to be converted into flats, including at the ground floor and basement levels. The resulting flat at ground floor on this busy road now has curtains pulled across the doors at all the time and have resulted in the loss of what would now be a viable commercial space. 



There is a very tiny window at ground floor level for the basement flat with a large Euro Bin that stands immediately in front of it. This surely isn't a good idea in front of a basement flat window.
This is adjacent to the busy seafront narrow stretch of pavement and the bin is often overflowing.

The reply I got from Planning Enforcement today stated:

"I have checked the planning history and can advise the reference number application ( listed building ) you provided is for a withdrawn application The associated planning application was refused. The last approved planning application for a conversion to flats , does not have any conditions relating to bin storage. There is therefore , nothing I can enforce. I would respectfully suggest , you contact the Councils waste area for assistance."

Surely, one avenue the Council could pursue is a Section 215 Notice? This is the legislation that authorities can utilise to deal with general eye sore problems. Guidance on Section 215 Notices.

"SCOPE OF POWERSection 215 can be used  effectively on large vacant industrial sites, town centre  street frontages, rural sites, derelict buildings, and semi-complete development as well as the more typical rundown residential properties and overgrown gardens.


The scope of works that can be required in s215 notices is wide and includes planting, clearance, tidying, enclosure, demolition, re-building, external repairs and repainting."


Clocktower News - 13 Marine Gardens

An empty ground floor shop in a Grade II Listed Georgian building situated at a busy seafront location. The frontage is very run down with lights hanging off. The tiled area in front of the shop is in poor condition and used by the public to walk on around the corner, yet it's privately owned. 


Planning Enforcement today stated:

"I have taken a look at the photo you have provided and am of the opinion , that it does not warrant any action yet , under the planning act."

 Again, I would have thought that a Section 215 Notice would be applicable here.

Walpole Bay Event May 24th

This is going to be a wonderful event on May 24th.

In the last year or so, great things have happened for the amazing Walpole Bay area. From the listing applications that resulted in both the pool and lift being awarded Grade II status, the campaign to not de-designate the bay for bathing, the valuable restoration work on the lift undertaken by volunteers, to the dedicated swimmers of Walpole Bay Tidal Pool Swimmers.

Heritage protection of valuable assets opens up the door to further external funding options that can then bolster the efforts of the community to protect and keep them in use. Many funding avenues are only available to listed structures. We should be thankful to the pioneers of Cliftonville past that they left us with such quality assets that are still with us. I'm proud to have played my part in the protection of heritage assets in Margate. Heritage is a key tourism driver and attracts valuable inward investment.

Walpole Bay and indeed the Cliftonville seafront is a special place that is loved and treasured by the community and vistors. Protecting heritage assets in this way for future and present day generations of people to enjoy the outdoors and helth benefits of bathing and enjoying the seaside.

Do check out the wonderful SEAS Phototography collection: http://www.seasphotography.org.uk/

In other news, I'm proud to have Mr Ed Targett  as my running mate for the council seats for Margate Central on May 7th. We're both standing as Green Party candidates and we both live in the Margate Central Ward. Ed's post is here.

Check out our Margate Spring Clean Facebook Page to get involved with the  campaign to bring positive change to Thanet Council for Margate.  Posters and leaflets are coming! If you can help, drop us a line at margatespringclean@gmail.com or via my own contact form on this blog.

#MargateSpringClean #LoveMargate

'Stylish' Walpole Bay Cliff Lift Grade II Listed

What a marvellous bit of good news to come home to this evening! English Heritage have approved my application and have designated Walpole Bay's 1934 Art Deco cliff lift at Grade II.

The Advice Report from English Heritage states:

"The Cliff Lift, Queens Promenade is a stylish 1934 Art Deco style concrete cliff lift which survives externally unaltered. It is an example of a very rare building type of which only four examples nationally are currently listed and the published criteria state that these are 'generally listed'. It is comparable with an inter-war cliff lift at Ramsgate which is listed at Grade II. It is part of a series of seaside structures in Cliftonville ranging in date from the early C19 to the 1930s, most of which are listed. It therefore meets the listing criteria for its building type."

The Cliff Lift now joins the recently designated Walpole Bay Tidal Pool at Grade II. Along with the rejection of the de-designation of Walpole Bay for bathing, the future for bathing at Walpole Bay looks ever more secure. If the Walpole Bay Swimmers keep at it they'll still be swimming at Christmas. 

In recent months, residents rallied and undertook the hard work of organising and painting of the lift's sadly dilapidated facade. The indefatigable Kate Harrison, while working as a Community Organiser for Locality, came across local painter and decorator Mark Johnson-Cooper who was eager to work to improve local historic buildings and get them looking better. They got others involved locally. The team was made up entirely of volunteers. Funding for the painting project was through the Community Organiser project and the Margate team that were in place at the time. The Margate Community Organiser team was the result of local residents successfully applying to Locality.

2012

Transformed in 2014:

Photo Ian Venables

There is a dedicated Facebook Group for the lift. Join!

The listing now opens the door for further funding opportunities for this stretch of Cliftonville seafront. It's one of only four listed cliff lifts nationally. Taken out of service in 2009 when Thanet Council closed it, I hope that the dream of the lift working again and enabling easier access to and from the lower promenade can soon become a reality.

Walpole Bay Tidal Pool

Cliftonville has so many beautiful assets from the era when Britain proudly invested in building facilities for people to enjoy bathing along this unique stretch of coast. Protect them, love them and the community will flourish. They lie on the walking route from Margate Harbour along to the jewel in the crown of Thanet's beaches, Botany Bay and on to Broadstairs. For the last five years this has been a really popular pastime for our guests at our B&B throughout the winter months as well as the summer. This route aka, Cliftonville is the crucial link between the towns of Margate and Broadstairs. It's a place in its own right. Where else can you ride an art deco lift down to a 4 acre tidal pool at the end of your road? Viva Cliftonville!

19 Hawley Square break ins

In the last week, we've sadly had to report a spate of break-ins at 19 Hawley Square. The building is Grade II listed and was, in better days,  The London Hotel. The building had previously had been sold to a housing association, then later becoming part of the portfolio of Orbit South. I've previously reported about Orbit South's failed attempts to get planning permission for conversion to tiny one bed flats and bedsits that were below their own minimum space standards. The purpose they stated at meetings with residents, was to obtain planning permission before selling on the property for the benefit of Orbit South's overall portfolio. 

Thanet District Council purchased back the building in 2011 from Orbit South for £75,000 to "bring a derelict building back into use and allow the Theatre Royal to expand its operations."  Earmarking 19 Hawley Square for the Theatre Royal has been the Council's stated intention for quite a few years. However, these intentions seem to have been ongoing for years and all the while a Grade II listed building is falling into ever greater disrepair. The building has substantial water ingress and dry rot. It's clear this situation shouldn't be allowed to continue indefinitely.

One has to wonder why Orbit South, allowed the listed 19 Hawley Square to fall into such a serious state of disrepair knowing its status as a designated heritage asset. The public may well now ask themselves how this affects Thanet District Council, who by buying the building have taken on the responsibility of the consequences of neglect. Depressingly, this was my post on the news of the Theatre's plans for the building back in 2011 and also Orbit South's Managing Director, Vivien Knibbs, also 2011. 

This is the third Grade II Listed large scale Georgian building on Hawley Square that is standing in a sorry state for years, exposed to the elements with seemingly no end in sight. 47, and 48-49 have both stood like gaping teeth having suffered arson attacks.
But these are Listed buildings. There is legislation to enforce their upkeep and protection from willful neglect. They are, by way of their listed status, eligible for funding. The Council purchased 19 Hawley Square in a bad state of repair and in the ensuing years the condition has worsened through lack of maintenance and repair. 

The Council list the property on their asset list:
19 Hawley Square is item 712, and is curiously listed as 'freehold and occupied'! The building has been empty for years.



Returning to this week's spate of break ins.

Worryingly, at the beginning of last week, children were seen entering the building at night with flashlights. This poses an obvious health and safety risk given the poor state of the building.

Today, two men were seen entering the building with a metal crow bar. They'd climbed up the scaffolding and entered through the easily accessible windows on the first floor.

Police attended and later this evening a Thanet Council Building Control Officer. The police contacted the company advertising on the scaffolding as responsible for security. The company stated their alarm, which didn't appear to work, was in place to protect the scaffolding and not the building.
Tonight the rain continues to fall into the buildings left with insufficient roof coverage.

Some may wonder how the Council's planning department can require of the public a standard of care for heritage assets in the face of this ongoing situation?

Poll: Do you want Margate's Crown Post Office to close or stay open?

Last night's public meeting regarding the proposed closure of Margate's Crown Post Office in Cecil Square heard residents and councillors and union reps raise many concerns. From the loss of a valuable community resource and accessibility issues to the concern that moving the Post Office service to within an existing business that this would imply some kind of loss of service provision.

Representatives from the Post Office (the company that is) were keen to communicate that there would be no loss of services and that we would be best proceeding to consultation. They weren't able to provide any information on why the Margate Post Office had been chosen for proposed closure or where it might be considered to move it. The union reps then explained that the consultation would not ask the public their views on whether to keep the Crown Post Office or not. It would be merely to discuss service provision. Once it gets to consultation, it would be too late and closure would be decided. This was then confirmed by the Post Office company representative.

The meeting was chaired by Councillor Iris Johnston with councillors from all parties present. Interestingly, a representative from Margate Town Team stated that the Town Team had met with the Post Office and Thanet District Council's Chief Exec, Sue McGonigal earlier in the year with a view to procuring a suitable retail partner. The Town Team representative stated they felt the issue was now a 'done deal' and the best option was to work on the most viable option.

There were very many questions raised about how a post office service that currently has 6 positions and 4 open at a time could be transferred to operating within a shop would be possible.

The point that the current building owner is happy for the post office to remain as a tenant.

Would it not be possible for extra businesses to move to the post office site rather than close the post office and relocate to a shop such as WH Smiths?

I've started a poll over on the top right to run for a week. Do you want Margate's Crown Post Office to close and move or stay open in the current location?

Public Meeting regarding proposed closure of Margate's Crown Post Office

There is a public meeting tonight regarding the proposed closure of Margate's Crown Post Office om Cecil Square. The meeting is at 7pm at the Baptist Church Cecil Square. 

It seems to be a car crash happening in slow motion. First Thanet Council's approved its own planning application to convert most of the grand Grade II Listed building to flats in 2012. Then the building went to auction and it was sold for £361,000. The proposal is now to close the Crown Post Office and move post office services to WH Smiths in the High Street. 

Tonight's meeting will be chaired by Councillor Iris Johnston (Labour). Guest speakers will include Councillor Mick Tomlinson (Conservative), County Councillor Mo Elenor (UKIP) and Councillor Will Scobie (Labour).

Post Office Cecil Square Margate - TDC proposes to convert into flats

At the Planning Committee on Wednesday 21st March, Members voted to make a site visit to view Grade II Listed Post Office building on Cecil Square, Margate. Thanet District Council owns the building and has made an application to convert it to 2 x 3 bed flats, 6 x 2 bed flats, demolition of rear extension, construction of  1 x 3 bed house and 1 x 2 bed houses. The Planning Officer for the application, stated it is the Council's intention to sell the building.

You can view and comment on the application here.

The Officer Report is available for download here. 


Page 46 of the report states:

"Evidence has been provided of other offices available within Margate Town centre, which are currently  being marketed, but have yet to find occupiers. Some of these units have been marketed for at least 2 years with no interest."

On page 47 under the heading Consultations, Thanet District Council's Conservation Area Appraisal Officer states:

"There has been justification submitted that no use can be found for the offices currently vacant in the primary build and that residential development appears the most prudent and sustainable use for the designated heritage asset."

Clearly the statement from the Conservation Area Appraisal Officer is, according to the information available in the report, in error.

Unless there is evidence of marketing of the Post Office building that has escaped our attention?

Details of a financial contribution from the developer, Thanet District Council, were also outlined. Yes, that's our money being donated from our own public purse to ourselves. £8750 is to be donated to the play scheme at Tivoli.

How was Tivoli chosen when we have Dane Park as a nearer park?

Where would this £8750 come from?

If you have views on this application, please add them as comments on this post. But more importantly, write to Emma Fibbens the Planning Officer leading on this application emma.fibbens@thanet.gov.uk.
Quote ref: F/TH/11/1052

What happens next? 
Well, a site visit is being made by Committee Members. Then it will come back to Planning Committee and a decision will be made. The building is Listed and it's the Council's own application. Therefore, it cannot make the final decision. It will be deferred to the Secretary of State with a recommendation.

We've heard from other departments within the Local Authority that there has been interest from various providers of studio space. Some of whom seem to manage to run studios within heritage buildings. Perhaps one section of the Local Authority should ensure it speaks to the other before disposing of one of our valuable heritage assets and stating there has been no interest.

At last a brighter future for 19 Hawley Square and The Theatre Royal

Very good news for the Theatre Royal and for Hawley Square. The bid has moved forward for the Theatre to extend and hopefully acquire and renovate 19 Hawley Square.

Number 19 Hawley Square, was a handsome Grade II listed end of terrace Georgian building sitting on the corner of the square right next door to the wonderful Theatre Royal. Number 19 is owned and managed the housing association Orbit.

19 Hawley Square used to be the London Hotel and served the Theatre. In recent years 19 has, despite its listed status fallen into almost total dereliction in recent years. We understand the sizer of the flats proposed by Orbit fall below their own minimum space standards and makes the process of applying for planning permission a precursor to selling the building on with planning for flats.

Orbit came out with planning applications last winter to convert it to 13 1 bed flats and a bedsit with floor space of 26 square meters, no windows in hallways, kitchens and bathrooms and expecting people to walk refuse down a meandering corridors into the basement.

Plans can be viewed and downloaded from: www.ukplanning.com/thanet and searching for the application references:

11th January 2010 L/TH/09/1040

11th January 2010 F/TH/09/1047

24th June 2010 F/TH/10/0429

The proposal intended knocking down the Victorian addition in the garden, building over the entire garden with a full height mock Georgian extension to squeeze in the remaining flats. Just what Margate needs I hear you cry, more 1 bed flats too small to swing a cat in and in true bad old days tradition, a bedsit no less! Perhaps taking inspiration from Margate's bedsit tradition that the council are working to erradicate!

So let's hope this works out for the Theatre Royal who would really benefit from increased space and it would be a sustainable use for number 19.

http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/Theatre-reveals-application-lottery-money/article-3205130-detail/article.html

Homes Under The Hammer - Albert Terrace

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