Open letter to Councillor Julie Marson and Laura Sandys MP from Councillor Will Scobie

I think this is the first open letter and guest blogger I've featured here on Margate Architecture. Following the debate last night across the council chamber regarding the proposed Cliftonville Conservation Area roll out. Councillor Will Scobie has penned an open letter. oh, and congrats to Will and Jodie on getting married!

p.s. Please do pop in to tomorrow's Margate Neighbourhood Plan Forum public meeting:

2pm-4pm 
Cliftonville Community Centre, St Paul's Road, Cliftonville.
Details here:
http://margateneighbourhoodplanforum.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/public-meeting-march-1st-margate-neighbourhood-plan-forum/

Open letter to Julie Marson and Laura Sandys – Conservation areas in Cliftonville

Dear Julie and Laura,

I would like to suggest that we meet to discuss the issue of conservation areas in Cliftonville so that we can work together on this important issue. I have been a vocal supporter of conservation areas in Cliftonville since I was elected to represent the area in May 2013. I think that by working together we can make sure that we have a scheme that protects the historical beauty of Cliftonville. The motion that was presented by Julie at the meeting of Thanet District Council on the 27^thFebruary unfortunately failed to get cross-party support for the scheme. We have the opportunity here to change that.

I feel that we mostly agree about conservation areas in Cliftonville and that a meeting would allow us to form a common position. Unfortunately in modern politics we spend far too much time talking about the things we disagree on rather than focusing on areas of agreement. This open letter is an attempt to try and get past this.

The areas that we disagree on are over the extent of the conservation areas and whether this can be done at once or phased over time. I am happy to discuss both of these issues. I did not support Julie’s original motion that proposed going beyond the English Heritage appraisals because we were presented with no evidence that residents wanted it extended to these areas. Nor were Council members provided with any factual evidence of the need to conserve these additional areas. However we can certainly discuss this and I will listen to your ideas. If there is a desire from residents for their area to be included, or if there is a factual case for it to be extended to other areas, then I am prepared to listen and talk about this openly.

Similarly I am also happy to discuss whether the conservation areas should be brought in at once or phased. I opposed them being done simultaneously because after speaking with Conservation and Planning Officers at the Council it became apparent that we not have adequate resources to do this. My worry would be that this could impact heavily upon conservation work taking place elsewhere in Thanet and potentially be very costly if rushed. If you have a proposal on how we can deliver conservation areas simultaneously with the resources available then I am prepared to listen to your views.

I hope that you will take me up on my offer because if we can agree a common position then it will send a clear message that politics in Thanet is changing. It will also allow us to deliver something incredibly important for the people of Cliftonville. I hope that we can put party politics aside for the good of Cliftonville.

Yours sincerely,

Will Scobie.

Kent County Councillor for Margate and Cliftonville and Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for South Thanet.

Ed: follow Will on twitter 
Will Scobie's blog

Act today to save Thanet Press from demolition

*News Update Feb 14th 2014*

I received a letter from the Council that once again new files have been added on February 12th to the application for comment.

So everyone who has already commented will have to comment all over again.

Which begs the question why new files are being allowed to be added to the current application after the receipt of extensive comments?

Is the developer simply countering the submitted comments with new files? Time for Thanet Council to require the developer submit a new application. 

Check out the new files on www.ukplanning.com/thanet



The proposal to demolish the historic Thanet Press buildings in Union Crescent in central Margate has been revised. 

Today is the deadline for comments. The proposal, by GTL Property Management Ltd, is for the erection of 2 x 4 storey buildings  and 1 x 3 storey building to accommodate 70 one and two bedroom flats.

I've been rather snowed under, so apologies for the lateness of this post. 

So, if you think there is a better future for this central light industrial site, nestled in the midst of Margate's Conservation Area and surrounded by Listed Buildings, please share this to your contacts.  

Here are the grounds I think worth commenting on myself. To comment, go to www.ukplanning.com/thanet 

Ref: F/TH/13/0538 and C/TH/13/0539

Make sure you comment on both applications.

- This is a key existing light industrial site, ideally placed in Central Margate to take full advantage of the available Regional Growth Fund loans in the East Kent Area. The loss of this site that could create and support employment and enterprise is unacceptable. The site is unsuitable for the creation of such a high number and high density of residential dwellings. 

- The structural engineer’s report confirms that the building is sound and could be reasonably reused and potentially extended, albeit with some minor remediation measures as recommended by the environmental report.

- The conclusions of the historic report are contrary to the good evidence the historic assessment (at the beginning of the report) presents of the importance of Union Crescent in Margate’s history and this appears to be biased in favour of those commissioning the report.  

- I would strongly disagree with the report’s statement that, "The horizontal rhythm reflects the Georgian terrace opposite”.  The inset vertical expression of the stairwells fronting the main Union Crescent facade is completely inconsistent with the Georgian character of the buildings opposite, and in general, and the overall proportion and hierarchy reads as a very poor pastiche.  The proposed use of stucco rendered corbels and reconstituted stone demonstrates that the building would be of insufficient material quality.  

- The proposed PPC aluminium sash windows are of very poor proportion and would not successfully emulate their Listed neighbours.

- The proposed design is of very poor quality, in a location where there is no precedent for housing of this scale, nor evidence of housing ever existing on the site, directly facing buildings of significant historic interest on all sides.  

- The proposed scheme does not enhance the Conservation Area and would certainly be a detrimental contribution to the street and the town.  For reasons of height, mass and bulk and potentially sunlight/ daylight impact to the neighbours the design remains inappropriate.  

- The fact that the existing 19th Century buildings on the site were not Listed by English Heritage is insufficient justification alone for demolition within a conservation area.

- The loss of the site’s employment use in the town centre remains a concern.  There has been interest in this building commercially that has been dismissed by the owner in favour of this proposed change of use.  The proposed change of use is contrary to local planning policy.

- The overlooking of the properties to the north of Hawley Square, with the overbearing scale of the proposals that face onto a narrow back street, is wholly unacceptable, to what is such an important Georgian square in both national and local terms.  The proposed building facing onto Prince’s Street is significantly taller than the existing massing and goes against the historic grain of the conservation area.

I hope that the council will see fit to refuse this application and encourage the applicant to more sustainably reuse the site and maintain a commercial use.

Further notes:
Historic Significance Appraisal Report
Since the last time the application was submitted a, Historic Significance Appraisal Report has been added to UK Planning. It was for this reason, that Councillor Iris Johnston sought for the application to be brought to Planning Committee rather than be decided under delegated powers. The Planning Department had it recommended for refusal. 

The report gives an enlightening and useful description of the Georgian residential buildings to Union Crescent , including outlining their importance and significance and their Listing status. This adds further weight to the argument that the proposed buildings, with their poorly considered elevation treatment and massing, will serve to de-value the setting of Union Crescent and its contribution to the Conservation Area.

The report contends that the scheme will have a positive contribution to the setting, however it will not. It does not ‘complete the classical composition’ as the street was never conceived as such. As the report outlines, the Thanet Press site has never contained buildings of a massing as proposed, and the street frontage has never been built up to such an extent. The design, particularly the proposed materials and detailing is poor and does not reflect that found on the adjacent buildings.

The loss of versatile commercial space will be hugely detrimental to the local area and the long term future of the town. A truly vibrant streetscape is created by a mix of uses and occupants, and refurbishment of the existing buildings for commercial use is the best way to achieve this.

Structural Report
The structural appraisal clearly states that the existing buildings are in a sound condition and re-use, even extension would be possible. From a sustainability point of view, such re-use is the most effective way forward and will use far less embodied energy than demolition and new build. The council should be taking a forward thinking approach and encouraging the re-use of existing structures.

Hazardous Substance Survey
The existing buildings were found to contain asbestos in parts, however the report states that ‘contamination in general is minimal and localised’. Any future development of the site, be it refurbishment of existing buildings or demolition with new build will have to deal with this so it neither supports nor opposes this application. What is clear is that it is possible to safely clear the existing buildings of hazardous materials and refurbish the existing buildings. There is no case for demolition on contamination grounds.


The Thanet Press site represents an important opportunity for sensitive regeneration of the existing buildings to create a new vibrant commercial space in the heart of the town. The existing buildings have a versatility of use and interest of form that the proposed scheme fails to deliver and I urge the council to refuse this scheme.

Thanet District Council's public consultation to de-designate Walpole Bay for bathing

Walpole Bay Tidal Pool by Jason Orton 2004

What's the saying? A week's a long time in politics? 

Last week, Thanet District Council  launched a surprise public consultation, canvassing public opinion on the proposed de-designation of Walpole Bay for bathing. 

The first information released was this on January 22nd, stating: 

"Thanet District Council is asking members of the public for their views on a proposal to remove water sampling tests at Walpole Bay in Cliftonville."

Their reasoning to remove the water sampling was based on:

"A recent review undertaken by the council and the Environment Agency (EA) however has identified that Walpole Bay is no longer primarily used as a bathing beach. Instead, 

visitors now predominantly use the beach for walking, sunbathing and to enjoy the excellent rock pooling habitats. 

Activity at the beach was monitored by the EA during the last bathing water season.  The results revealed that between 29 July and 3 September 2013, at the water sampling point, there were 58 visitors on the beach and of those, five swam in the sea."

At this juncture, the Environment Agency report referred to was not made available to the public. And it wouldn't be until a week later and the public consultation was still running. There was no explanation of what the 'water sampling point' was. 

Social media lit up with many people incredulous at the stated bathing figures for August 2013. Many upset that this seems like a defeatist step back not the hoped for move forward. Local businesses like seafront alchemist, Haekels even offered to clean up the promenade for free.

The hashtag #walpolebaybathing was born along with the Walpole Bay Bathing Facebook page where people started to share information on how much they loved bathing at Walpole Bay and posting photos.  It started to collate articles celebrating the Walpole Bay tidal pool and connecting it to a movement of outdoor swimming internationally. And this has been the most positive effect of the council's consultation. 

Cliftonville Lido 1933

Then on the January 23rd Thanet Council published more information about the consequences of the public voting no to the de-designation. The Environment Agency report was still not available. 

Leader of the Council, Clive Hart, took to Facebook, stating 'THE FACTS - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY - ESPECIALLY THE CONSEQUENCES'. But to many people, it seemed the facts were not available because the Environment Agency report was not published.

The Council then added a Walpole Bay FAQ. And, this week, Thanet Council published the Environment Agency report data (PDF). It then became clear that the number of bathers referred to in the previous statements from Thanet Council were from a very narrow section of the Walpole Bay beach of the water sampling site. Zone H was the site on the map and one of 13 sections of the beach.

What seems to have not been included in Thanet Council's consultation information was zone K, which contains the tidal pool. The report states: 'The results from the survey indicated that zone K had the most number of people using both the beach and the sea'. Therefore Thanet Council's claim that that Walpole Bay should be de-designated for bathing seems to be based on information relating solely to the small area of the water sampling site, zone H.

Thanet Council published the following from Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Iris Johnston:

“In line with our Destination Management Plan, we’re keen to make the most of Thanet’s stunning natural assets and to provide a diverse offer for our visitors. 

“The area from Walpole Bay up to Botany Bay is a haven for wildlife and offers unspoilt beautiful bays which can be enjoyed all year round. 

“The recent review of Walpole Bay demonstrates a clear change in visitor demand, with very little evidence of people swimming in the sea. Removing water sample tests here would mean no change in the level of service provided here and in fact would mean we could do more to positively promote the beach to a new audience.”

The council's motivation seems is to avoid non-compliance with stricter EU water quality standards coming in in 2015.

I have some questions:

- Does the Environment Agency report really show a change in visitor demand at Walpole Bay?
- Is there very little evidence of people swimming at Walpole Bay?
- And what about the walk from Margate Main Sands to Walpole Bay rather than just from Walpole Bay to Botany Bay?
- If the beach is de-designated for bathing, can funding for upgrading the well used bathing facilities still be planned and applied for?
- Will the cleaning of promenades and the beach be increased with need if the council has stipulated there is a declining need and need to prioritise Thanet's remaining bathing beaches? People seem to agree that Cliftonville seafront needs more cleaning not less.
- Why did Walpole Bay have water quality issues that other bays didn't. Can this be resolved?

The report actually concludes that: 'the location of the EC sampling point is not representative of an area used by the public'.

DEFRA guidance (PDF) on de-designation of bathing is clear: 'Evidence for de-designation on grounds of water quality will not be admitted'.

Vote No to the de-designation of Walpole Bay for bathing.
It is clearly well used for bathing by the local community. The bathing facilities need improving, not down grading. This stretch of Cliftonville coastline is beautiful. It's a key asset to a recovering area of Thanet.

Take part in our own Walpole Bay Bathing survey on the proposal.To comment on this proposal please do email consultation@thanet.gov.uk or write to Walpole Bay Review, Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Margate CT9 1XZ. The consultation is open until February 16th. 

Here are some further links about the Walpole Bay Tidal Pool and Bay that you might find interesting:

Blog post from a visitor to the area who came to bathe at the pool.
A piece with photography by celebrated landscape fanatics Ken Worpole and photographer Jason Orton.
History of the construction of the tidal pool.
Collection of historic aerial photography Britain From Above

Margate Media Centre - invitation to tender for management

The management of Margate Media Centre is up for tender on behalf of Thanet District Council and its partners in the Recreate Interreg project:

https://www.businessportal.southeastiep.gov.uk/sece/opportunity.nsf/fcontent?ReadForm&requesttype=viewcontract&region=REG-UATA-79EMC9&authority=ORG-DNWA-7BSHJE&docid=OS-DNWA-9F8M4U&sd=&stype=&rv=authority&start=1&count=10&contentid=1.003
 
Thanet Council states:

"This is an exciting opportunity to establish a vibrant creative hub in the heart of Margate's old town, with a package of support for the successful tenderer to ensure the viability of the enterprise and maximise its impact as a regeneration project.

You can also send questions about the tender to sophie.jeffrey@thanet.gov.uk up to 3 working (Mon - Fri) days before the close of Submissions at 14:00 hours on 28th February 2014. Answers will be shared with all those who have expressed an interest in the tender. No telephone calls will be accepted."

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).

More strange news from Thanet Council

Is this the week of strange Margate and Thanet news? It seems so:

More on Thanet Council's Corporate and Regulatory Services Manager Harvey Patterson over on ECR
http://eastcliffrichard.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/before-they-were-famous_20.html

And then the The South Thanet Conservative Association are keen to say more regarding the independence of the Independent Standards Committee. Is that enough independents for you?

Right. As you were!