PLANNING BY BULLDOZER MAKES A CHANGE!

The first two pictures above were sent to me by Steve Higgins (thanks) and show The Marina Cafe as it was in January 2008, only a month before two-thirds of it were demolished on the grounds that it was unsafe!

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Seeing the scaffolding in Northdown Road propping up a fire damaged building, one has to wonder why this wasn't done here. Anyway, TDC Planning is soon to make a decision on 1 Granville Marina, in Ramsgate. It would appear that Planning Officers are advising consent be given but if you read on, you might think it should be restored to its original state.

(My thanks to Michael Child at http://www.thanetonline.blogspot.com/ for permission to use his pics).
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The scene above shows TDC officials monitoring the demolition of an architectually important, Grade 2 listed building on Marina Esplanade in early February last year. Utterances at the time included words like 'it will have to be restored' and ' key bits will be saved and stored and incorporated into the restored building'. Go and look at F/TH/09/0051 and F/TH/09/0052 and what you will find is effectively a new and enlarged development and was this what the events of February 2008 were really all about?

Au Clair Properties' February 2009 application makes some hilarious reading and please refer to the picture above taken in February 2008, a year before the present application. Two thirds of the property had just been demolished in extraordinary circumstances. Here are some excerpts:
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"Does the proposal include the partial or total demolition of a listed building? [No]" (This of course had taken place in Feb 2008!)
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Previous use: "Vacant. restaurant with residential above.
"Total existing residential units? - 8 bedrooms in 8 bedsit/ studios" (Cannot see them in the pic above!).

What I found interesting was a Building Survey Report on behalf of a Mr Baker by Urban Surveying and Design Ltd dated 31 JUL 2007, A FULL 6 MONTHS EARLIER before Goody Ltd demolished 2/3 of the building whilst TDC Officers stood by. Here is an extract:
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" It is our considered opinion that the structure and fabric of this building are not economically viable to repair, as repairs are estimated at £400,000".
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"It would be possible to demolish the structure and incorporate any items of the fabric that have architectural merit suach as the ground floor stained glass and external features. The current architectural theme and design elements could be replicated and incorporated within a scheme to redevelop the site with an an appropriately designed development." (Remember these guys are talking about a Grade2 listed building. In addition has TDC charged for its costs storing the bits recovered in 2008?)
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Clague Architects in their survey of the surviving third of 1 Granville Marina in July 2008 for Au Clair stated:
"My conclusion is that itis unrealistic to attempt to repair the surviving part of the building". (I am not surprised having seen the pic above!)
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So I ask myself this simple question; How on earth was this demolition allowed to happen and why is TDC even considering this application.? A source tells me that Au Clair were recently reponsible for building a building higher than agreed by TDC; is this incompetence or a disregard of TDC as The Local Planning Authority? It seems to me that a 'fait accomplis' has been achieved to destroy a Grade 2 listed building and replace it with an extended new building offering high profit for the developer who now wishes to build five two bedroomed flats and 1 one bedroomed flat. The Goody smash and demolish job looks like the cheap and easy option!
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The other aspect that some readers of Michael Child regarding Royal Sands, might be interested in is the risk to occupants who might live in this development. A planning application (F/TH/08/1196) that resembles the present one closely, was turned down by TDC in November 2008. A Flood Risk Assessment had not been done! The Planning Officer reported that 1 Granville Marina is in EA Flood Zone 3a (which is second to 3b which represents a functional 'flood plain'.) The EA objected to the proposals on the grounds that "it is within the High Risk Rapid Inundation Zone, making it particularly vulnerable when the sea defences are breached or over-topped." Locals will remember sand-bagging at 1 Granville Marina was a regular feature of the past.
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The current application has a Flood Risk Assessment that seems to be at odds with the EA assessment despite the fact that both plans have had the ground floor level raised by one metre. The authors on behalf of Au Clair still stated that " It is highly recommended that future residents sign up to the EA Flood Warning Service."
What was also interesting was the advice to future residents that (despite being 1m higher than past residents) in the event of 'over-lapping' spray (waves crashing over the sea wall to you and me) they could fit flood skirts; do sandbagging and close air bricks; remain inside or retreat to high ground or (I loved this bit) seek refuge in communal stairwells or higher flats!
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So not only do we have a sad tale of a Grade 2 listed building in a prime location demolished amid strange circumstances but the 're-birth' into a luxury flat complex in a prime location seems to take the threat of the sea crashing into it far too lightly. I wonder if the new Ramsgate Council has some thoughts on the matter; they will need to move quickly.