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.
I have always wondered what this building was. What a wonderful building it is shorly someone could buy it and restore it to it’s former glory. I would have thought it would have a preservation order on it as it lookes old enough. Such a shame if it’s demolished.
Its amazing inside , the balcony and staircase is wonderful , its a great shame it can,t be rescued and restored , heyho !
Known trait
Let property rust away for years
Oh look it’s in poor condition
Council dont enforce owners to tidy the property.
Like the pavilion
Oh let’s sell and demolish it squeeze in 12 flats… With a company that’s been dormant
Smell the bacon.
Just looking to see what a dormant company has built.. Nothing
What a waste of a beautiful old property. So, why buy a place and not do anything with it unless you are land banking which is happening all over Thanet
Its really sad how this pub has just been left to rot, check out the insides from the urban explorers pictures in this report and you’ll see what a lovely little place it is. Why does the plans always have to be housing? pubs are closing all the time, this could be resurrected and given a new look but I guess its all down to money and it wont make enough. Such a shame though! and I have to say that when some people do get in there they just take photos of the insides and post online so anyone can remember what it looked like before it gets demolished or turned into something else. Not every youth that goes in there is trashing it.
https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/leisure-sites/20923-braces-pub-ramsgate-dec-2011-a.html#.XWukByhKgdU…it is part of our history
shame on you pemberton estates
shame on the council
Derelict for 8 years+
Derelict in 2011 according to the article you posted. The developers bought it last year.
What did you do to fix it?
If shame on the developers, shame on you also?
Why as it took so long ! Keep & restore ! It’s a very old building & beautiful let’s not make the town Morden square box buildings keep the history & people & visitor will come far & wide . Ramsgate is a Royal harbour town keep it traditional!
Yet another building of interesting architectural features and quality that has been allowed to rot and be demolished and replaced with cardboard box, rabbit hutch construction, formulaic, soulless housing development with a tidy profit for the owner and developer.
Futile rant over.
What rubbish some talk, it’s about time this place was knocked down indeed why stop there most of king street should be knocked down and accommodation put in its place. It’s too late In the day to save it. Save it for what? More drunks to spill out of at night causing noise and fighting.
Completely agree with you Ann. It has been left way too long to try and save now.
Yes – that’s the whole point isn’t it – buildings left to rot for 10 years, often more, and the local authority does nothing . . .
In the meantime anybody living in the vicinity suffers the vandalism, rats, pigeons, dereliction, squalor, demeanour and blight to their own property.
I am sorry you think I am talking rubbish . . .
I too think it should be demolished and flats built. I like the look of the new buildings but ,as the comment by Kent Police on the planning website says, the ground floor windows look impractically large.
I remember this as a pub was great the twisting staircase to the bar billiards table shame not restored years ago
This used to be such a, quirky great building its a shame but the area it sits in is ghetto so even if they refurbished it would never be the same.
What a lovely looking building cleverly blending old and new architecture…. it will be a great addition to the town’s regeneration scheme and provide much needed accommodation for the local area ..
My turn for a rant why are people in fovour of more housing in place of business property’s cram more people into a town with no jobs so you end up with more drinkers as nothing else to do this place would make an ideal music venue it’s got the space and the stage there the old pleasure armour is just waste ground now let’s get some amusements there a few holiday chalets there reopen the ferry port they spent enough money on new road too it start creating jobs for locals turn it back to a holiday town get the tourist back lived here 32 years now its gone right down hill new weatherspoons won’t last if only locals around to use it bout time tdc woke up
My wife and I had our wedding reception in there back in 1995 when it was owned by Ray and Carol (we was good friends of theirs and Kents used to also be my local). Some really fond memories in that place, its going to be a huge loss when its gone. A damn shame someone hasn’t come forward to renovate it.
Such a shame, was the first pub i could get into and served at age 16 back in ’73 when it was the Duke of Kent. Bobo the singing GSD who would howl at Landlady Olive playing the organ and Landlord Roy behind the bar relying on underage drinkers keeping the pub going 😉 Had a pool table on the balcony upstairs and a fab jukebox we used to load up until Olive decided to entertain us – happy days How about crowd funding scheme to buy it, anyone interested?
It’s an eyesore as is the rest of King St and bottom of hereson, walk into town by that route you are trying to avoid all sorts of offensive rubbish, the stink of weed and the usual drinkers. The area lacks accomadation over 2,000 on the local authority waiting list where ever you go in Thanet it’s the same so why not build affordable accomadation rather than commercial to sit empty for years
This eyesore is doing a great job at keeping Ramsgate property prices low and keeping tourists from returning.