Cabinet members on Thanet District Council are to consider a proposal to let the Grade II listed Old Town Hall in Margate.
If they approve, the council will seek a tenant for the two-storey building in Market Place under a new lease agreement.
A letting would provide an ongoing revenue stream and help mitigate against its empty property costs. Currently, the unoccupied building costs the local authority approximately £13,500 per year in rates, utilities, maintenance and insurance.
A significant amount of renovation work is required to bring the Old Town Hall up to standard and this will be reflected in any lease deal.
Market Place in Margate has become a hive of activity in recent years, with new boutique shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants opening.
The council says an important part of this regeneration is the restoration and effective use of the Town Hall building as a focal point and landmark in the Old Town.
Cabinet members will consider the proposal at a meeting on Thursday, April 28.
Yet another muck up by TDC !!! It was closed in 2013 for six weeks (Yes, 6 weeks) to allow urgent repairs to be carried out, and it’s still shut down, with NO repairs ever being undertaken.
I am one of the few people with the “KUDOS Report”, a make believe insult to The Old Town Hall.
This report stated that circa £500,000.00 would be necessary for the rebuild !
This was ridiculous from the start.
Proper local Builders offered to do a correcting procedure for less than £50,000.00!!!
TDC are so very, very,very useless in this sort of problem!
I really don’t fancy seeing this being ‘Let’ to some business or other.
This wonderful Building was gifted to Margate and its Residents, and should remain unharmed.
I really cannot trust anything TDC come up with any useful plans for the Winter Gardens either!
National Lottery Grants for Heritage are available for exactly this sort of project, but TDC’s established tactic is to neglect our heritage properties for long enough that they become liabilities, then some are easily persuaded they must be disposed of as cheaply and quickly as possible, or left to rot until they can be given away! Destroying our heritage and assets in this way is unacceptable. TDC, apply for the grants available, restore it to its former glory at the heart of our old town. If parts of it need repurposing, so be it, but its public ownership must be retained.
Spoken like someone with no understanding of heritage grants and how they work. Since you know so much why don’t you apply … no I guess like most of the people that moan and complain you don’t have the time…. Skill or ability and are just another talker and TDC basher .
Grants aside, it is yet another example of a building allowed to deteriorate for decades under tdcs ownership. The councils record when it comes to its heritage assets is lamentable, pointing out such failures is merely stating fact not bashing.
Peter made a very strong argument TDC under the Austerity party are allowing almost everything that the Victorian gave us to ROT, With the intended plan that Peter made, sell it off it costs money!
Despite a growing population this Government wants to reduce the number of Councillors NOT for the benefit of the residents but yet again to save money. Foxtrot Oscar madame
why dont they turn it into an art gallery / centre we are desperately short of these places in thanet .
Haha!
I second that it should be some sort of art gallery. Maybe feature the history of manston airport….. that should rattle a few cages.