Renovation works due to start at Westgate Pavilion

Boarded up: The Westgate Pavilion

Renovation work will be carried out on the Westgate Pavilion with the aim of reopening the site to the community in July.

The building, owned by Westgate Pavilion Local Project Limited, has been empty and boarded up since December 23 when tenant Lee Williams, who runs the award-winning Madhouse Scare Maze, was served with ‘forfeiture of lease’ notice by bailiffs.

Work will include removing the internal Mad House structure, carrying out essential rewiring and other repairs.

A cost of more than £189,000 plus VAT has been quoted, meaning the work will need to be carried out in phases.

Westgate Pavilion Local Project chairman  Nicholas Martine said: “We need to make the building safe. There will include extensive rewiring, removing the structures of the scare maze and work on the toilets, This should mean it will be available for basic use in July, that’s what we are aiming for.”

He added that once the site has been renovated it will be available for use by the town council for meetings, local clubs and groups and as a place for social events for students at the London House School of English alongside pupils from King Ethelbert’s, Chatham and Clarendon and other youth organisations.

Mr Martine said: “We have Spanish students who spend the day at King Ethelbert School, students from the Ukraine and China and we want to use the space so they can interact with our local children.”

Margate Mad House will be running again this year and is expected to be at a new base in Margate.

The ending of the tenancy is currently the subject of legal proceedings.

3 Comments

  1. London House School of English students will have the main use of the buildings in July & August 2019. The building acting as educational use during the day and used for their social activities in the evenings.

    Mr Nicholas Martine is also a director of London House School of English as is his daughter in law Janing Martine. Mr Martine Snr’s son was also a director of London House but later resigned because of difficulties.

  2. After calling Canterbury Courts earlier I was informed a directions hearing has been made for the illegal forfeiture of the lease made on the 23rd December 2018. I’ll pass this new information onto the court for advice but I’m not sure if the landlord is acting legally?

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