Separated At Birth?

Reader Samantha writes:

Has anyone noticed the similarity between The Great Wall of Ramsgate, as pictured in a new paperback called The English Seaside by Peter Williams, and published by English Heritage...

And this, The Great Wall of Ramsgate as depicted in your blog on April 27....

Are they by any chance related?

Hmmm. Interesting question, Samantha. I see English Heritage states in its blurb for the book: 'For too long the English seaside has suffered from a bad press, accused of being tatty, cold, grey and windswept, but Peter Williams finds the seaside to be warm-hearted and welcoming, about having fun, riding the rides and seeing the shows.'

Well, the rides went long ago, the cold and grey has got colder and greyer, the tatty tattier, and as for the being windswept, I see we're being warned about stonking great gusts tomorrow! Pip pip!

Rubbish News

Regular contributor Samantha writes:

Is anyone else fed up with the state of Camden Square in Ramsgate? Every week rubbish is dumped there willy-nilly, not to mention the ever-present seagull problem on bin bag collection days. I have attached some photos of the disgraceful mess this square is almost constantly in.

The residents have been told their properties are not suited to wheelie bins and that they cannot participate in the trial of seagull proof bin bags that is taking place elsewhere on the East Cliff. Emails to councillors rarely receive a response, and I know of one councillor who actually believes that the seagull proof bags are 'ugly' and that the final solution is spraying bin liners with bleach on bin day. How's that supposed to help?




Well Samantha, it certainly looks like a land fill from your photos! I wonder how long it'll be before the entire area is infested with rats and bubonic plague?!?!!??

And talking of rubbish news, I've just been sent a press release from Duffer Central entitled HERITAGE OPEN DAYS COME TO MARGATE. According to our beloved council's spin doctor:

Some of Margate ’s many historic buildings and sites will be throwing open their doors next month (September), as part of Heritage Open Days.

A total of 12 different venues will be taking part in the initiative, which runs from Thursday 9 September until Sunday 12 September. It’s been organised under the banner of Margate Arts, Creativity, Heritage (MACH) [Who they? Ed], an innovative partnership between English Heritage, the Arts Council and Thanet District Council.

There's more, but it's all about Margate. Yet a sneak peek at the English Heritage website reveals that there are two events in Broadstairs, and two in Ramsgate. So why no mensh of those by Cecil Square? Have they forgotten that our council tax pays their wages too? Or are they just eager to take credit for what seems to be some much needed joined up thinking from outside their bureaucratic box? I think we should be told!

Heritage Schmeritage

I see English Heritage has published its Heritage at Risk register today, listing the heritage sites it considers to be in a parlous state. Thanet gets a couple of guernsies. No prizes for guessing which two edifices are most at risk here on Kent's Ramsgate Peninsula, eh? Gotta be the demolished, listed Marina Restaurant here on Ramsgate seafront and the charred remains of Dreamland's listed Scenic Railway, eh? Eh?

Wrong! The wonderful monuments EH in fact consider to be at risk are Margate's Shell Grotto, which they say is in 'poor' condition, and some old barn out on the Haine Road, whose condition they classify as 'very bad'. I would have thought 'demolished' and 'burnt to a crisp' would have beaten either of those, but perhaps they no longer regard them as being at risk... of anything ever being done to restore them to their former glory!

Click here to see Thanet's 'at risk' heritage sites

What's Left To Conserve?

Cripes! Talk about closing the gate after the horse has bolted! I see Thanet Council has just announced an extension of the Ramsgate Conservation Area to include Granville Marina. As you can see from my photo, the Grade II listed Marina Restaurant, which is part of the newly designated area, was well and truly, er, 'conserved' by a bunch of shonky developers back in February.

Although some of the other properties along there still stand in their original Victorian finery, the majority were vandalised long ago with the substitution of 60s frontages, while the rest of the area consists of weed-infested, derelict eyesores with only Heras fencing to show where once-splendid buildings stood. From the looks of the place, the horse bolted more than 50 years ago and has long since gone to the knacker's yard!

Click here for Thanet Council press release

Auclair On The Eastern Front 2

Thar she blows! So, the experts in whose capable hands the restoration of our Marina Restaurant lies appear to be registered in the Isle of Man. Rather odd for a Swanley based firm, don't you think? Why does this not inspire me with confidence?

Click here for Isle of Man Companies Registry

Auclair On The Eastern Front

I see today's Isle of Thanet Gazunder is towing the party line about the 'necessary' demolition of the listed Marina Restaurant here on Ramsgate's Côte de Rubble. One interesting fact to emerge from the story, though, is that the developers are a company called Auclair Properties in Swanley.

So, who are these well-known, experienced, heritage-loving people entrusted with the rebuilding of one of our town's fine Victorian edifices? Are they on the internet? Not according to Google. How about Companies House? Nope, not a sausage. Hmm. Perhaps they're hiding their light under a ton of bricks!

Click here for full Gazunder story

Rubble Trouble

Our local biblio-bloke and tireless Ramsgate campaigner, Michael Child, tells me he's going to be on BBC Radio Kent tomorrow morning, talking about the 'conservation' efforts down on the front.

They interviewed him today, and you should be able to catch his dulcets between 7.30-8.30am. Of course, it was me that tipped them off. Well, if you've got connections use them, that's what I say!

Cracks Beginning To Show

The demolition... oops, sorry, 'conservation' of our listed Marina Restaurant here in Ramsgate has caused a right royal rumpus. Now it transpires that our council's own Heritage Development Advisor has written to English Heritage asking for their support, and inviting them to make a site visit in the 'near future'.

The council officer's email, which has been leaked to me by one of my, um, deep throats, is clearly the source of Councillor Green's Post earlier today, but I make no apology for reprinting it in full here. Well, fuller actually, as there were a couple of important bits he missed out.

Dear Alan (Alan Byrne, English Heritage),

Your assistance is required. No 1 Granville Marina is part of JT Wimperis' 1877 development of a beach resort for Edward Pugin's Granville Hotel. As originally devised, the development consisted of shops, houses, shell grottos, tea rooms and a 'wintergardens'. No 1 was built as a photographer's studio. Numbers 1-4 were listed Grade II on 21/12/2004.

Last year Thanet Council became increasingly concerned about the condition of the building. Its last used was as a restaurant, a use that ended some years ago. It was, however, still owned by the catering company who - despite several offers - refused to sell it. A change in the management of the company saw it being sold to a firm of Ramsgate developers in the middle of last year.

I had a meeting with the new owners in August last year at which it was clear that it was their desire to demolish and redevelop. It was pointed out to them that this not an option since the building was listed. Being concerned that they were not going to take any action, we served an Urgent Works Notice on the owners on 15th August 2007 - with a compliance period of three weeks. The Notice required the sea facing elevation to be shored up and the structure made secure and watertight.

The developers appointed a structural engineer who designed shoring for the defective elevation. As the autumn progressed it became clear that the developers were not going to carry out the works and it transpired that they had dispensed with the services of the structural engineer. We therefore engaged the same engineer, had the structural works priced and appointed contractors to carry out works in default. The contractors started work on 28/1/2008.

On the morning they started the owners turned up saying they were sorry and that they would carry out the works immediately. We withdrew our contractors. On Thursday 31st January there was a considerable south-westerly gale and a considerable crack opened up in the south west corner - the left hand side of the sea facing elevation. By Friday morning it was clear that the sea elevation was becoming too 'live' to prop anymore and would have to be demolished. Our structural engineer was in attendance - together with our Building Control section. Once the front was down it became clear that the lateral walls were being forced apart by the roof and two thirds of the building ended up being demolished - see attached photographs.

The remaining third is, at the time of writing, being stabilised using a Notice under the Building Acts. Any loose historic material from the demolished parts is to be collected and put in to storage. It is the Authority's intention to serve a Section 48 Repairs Notice requiring the owner to re-instate, on a like for like basis, the demolished parts. I am of the opinion that the Ramsgate THI scheme could underwrite a compulsory purchase notice. English Heritage's support in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Would it be possible for you to make a site visit in the near future?

Nick Dermott BA (Hons) Dip Arch RIBA IHBC
Heritage Development Advisor
Major Developments Team
Thanet District Council
PO Box 9
3rd Floor
Cecil Street
Margate
Kent CT9 1XZ

Does anyone remember the demolition of the famous Firestone factory in London 30 years ago? I think I'm getting déja vu!