
Plans to extend and convert the former Sports Direct and USC store building in Ramsgate’s Queen Street into 31 flats and four commercial units including a basement gym, have been approved.
The JDP (South) Limited development will create 17 x 1 bedroom and 14 x 2 bedroom apartments on the ground and upper floors with access via a residential entrance in Queen Street.
The proposal includes four self-contained commercial units on the ground floor, two units will be shops, there will be a Business Hub and another unit will be a gym. On the ground floor there will be a reception and lifestyle café associated with the gym.
Documents submitted to Thanet council say the developer has approached the Blitz Training Academy to operate the commercial gym. Blitz secured a contract with Thanet District Council for the provision of Health and fitness facilities for minority groups in the community when the group had plans to set up in Westwood.

The business hub will have adhoc business desk space, meeting and conference areas will also be available for occasional hire.
Planning documents from JDP (South) Limited state: “The intention is to provide a dedicated business space for members of the public or visiting business people. The Business Hub will be provided with its own reception and welfare facilities and therefore be considered self contained. The hours of operation for the business hub will likely be limited to 8am – 8pm.”
The apartments will include planted areas on roof terraces and the Atrium. There will be play space at ground floor level which will be secure and under the direct supervision of a concierge service.
There are no parking areas planned for the development.
Sports Direct and USC have moved to The Link retail park next to Westwood Cross.
how many more flats does ramgate need? if this keeps going on then ramsgate will be a ghost town of flats and pubs
How can a town full of houses be a “ghost town”?
Because thats all there will be
Not sure people understand that ghost towns are places where no one lives.
When people live in flats, they buy stuff from shops and use services like pubs and restaurants: that’s how an area thrives.
There is a shortage of affordable property in Ramsgate, and this kind of development will only help. I’m all for it.
Lack of parking is going to be an issue, the residential streets around town are already full of parked cars. Almost all properties are victorian and therefore no driveways or garages. Residents already struggling without more parking overspill from new flats
Good job the Loop bus stop is just outside the front of the building, and Cavendish St car park round the back.
They said that already… Unless they park in waitrose at a cost.
Better as flats, than more Little Boxes being chucked up on grade 1 arable farming land.
Not that the concreting over will ever stop.
Street reverting back to housing as they used to be before they started to get converted into shops… what comes around…..
I swear to god that TDC are trying to kill Ramsgate town centre off & all the commercial properties will be turned into residential & our town centre will be Westwood bloody cross 😡
4 self contained commercial units on the ground floor.
I could not agree more =Ramsgate is now a ghost town-As a kid i remember the shops and everything-even the classic and the kings cinema.
But so many of the commercial properties are sitting empty
Yes I know but imo our town shops have declined & become empty & ‘High street’ footfall is dire mainly in Ramsgate since to Westwood cross opened & TDC put the rent/rates up in the, their words, prime location of the High street….. In their infinite wisdom that went well for them didn’t it….. it drove businesses & customers out of town.
So the usual suspects that moan about lack of affordable housing are moaning about flats being built. And there will be retail units as well. What’s not to like?
Congestion on our roads.
No Gp
No dentist
No infrastructure
Normal things needed when building.
A school…
17 1 bed
14 2 bed.. Squashed sardines.. Affordable tdc.. Never
As Maria said.
I think its discussing that they are closing the empty shops to have flats for people to live in because no one will be living in Ramsgate because their is no place selling bad sportsware.
They should build lots of houses on manstin and then open it up so there can be flights again and make lots of money
Love it Ramsgate, sad they demolished our house in Meeting Street, I wish I was back there, all for the sake of large parking area, progress really!
Or better still Start converting westwood cross shops in to flats-And knock down Sainsburys and Tescos and build houses in their places.