Demolition of the former Braces pub in Ramsgate will take place after an application was approved by Thanet council on August 23.
The King Street property, formerly The Swiss Cottage and before that the Duke of Kent, has been empty for more than a decade and had become a dumping ground, attracting rats. Residents at the rear of the property have also previously raised fears for the safety of a number of young people who have trespassed at the site.
A notice of demolition has now been issued and will be carried out by Aylesham based Goody Demolition.
A revised planning application for the site was submitted earlier this year and is still awaiting decision.
A previous application for 11 flats at the site was refused. An appeal in 2010 against the decision was unsuccessful.
But the pub, once the Swiss Cottage and before that the Duke of Kent, was then put on the sales market again for offers in the region of £385,000.
According to Land Registry £350,000 was paid for the site by Deal-based Pemberton Estates (SE) Ltd on December 7, 2018.
The new application, submitted in March of this year, is for twelve, 2 bed flats and two, 1 bed flats and a communal roof terrace. It is also proposed to create a new section of footpath along the side of the development adjoining Belmont Street, extending the curb line into King Street.
The application states: “The existing building is now in very poor order, its condition and general state of the site having become a concern of residents. It is clear that whist the property was considered previously to have architectural and heritage value, it has over time become an eyesore.
“It is acknowledged that the redevelopment of this site is extremely sensitive. In particular the loss of the original building considered by some to be of architectural significance, was felt to be unacceptable. Certainly it cannot be denied the former pub is individual and therefore for this reason its replacement needs to re-establish a landmark building within the street and setting.”
An objection of overdevelopment has been raised by Ramsgate Town Council, however the scheme is supported by Ramsgate Heritage forum.
