Thanet council building control officers have inspected Ramsgate’s West Cliff Hall to see whether its condition would mean it should be considered as a ‘dangerous structure’
However, officers “did not find anything to indicate it is currently a dangerous structure” council leader Rick Everitt told members at a meeting last night (July 11).
The statement was in response to a question from Cllr David Green, who asked what powers are available to the council to deal with “the listed but increasingly derelict West Cliff Hall” particularly due to the impact on the promenade and adjacent highway.
The West Cliff Hall has been empty since 2005 when the Motor Museum left the site. Over the following almost two decades the property has continued to deteriorate.
The hall had been on the council’s disposal list from 2005 to 2010. Plans to rebuild and recreate the site were put in motion by youth charity Project MotorHouse in 2009.
The youth charity wanted to create cinemas; theatres; bars; restaurants, offices and youth facilities. However, this ambition came to an end when the council sold the site at public auction in 2018.
It is now owned by Westcliff Development Ltd, headed up by Dr Davinder Singh Jamus and Mohinder Singh Rajan, who bought the hall for £225,000.
In November last year the company had compulsory strike off action suspended for a second time. The first compulsory strike off action was discontinued in January 2023 for the company which has been dormant since it was created in 2019.
A second strike off action was lodged in September last year and suspended in November. Accounts for the company are listed as overdue and should have been lodged by July 2023.
No planning applications for the site had been submitted to Thanet council until the pre-application noted on Savill’s website ahead of an auction where the hall was listed with a £330,000 price tag.
The property was being auctioned with ‘positive pre application advice for a 89-bed hotel.’ However, the property has not been sold and is still available although not currently being displayed on Savill’s website.
At the council meeting last night Cllr Everitt said: “TDC does not have responsibility for the maintenance of the building, all maintenance responsibility sits with the building’s owner and it’s clear from the sale documentation that the owner must maintain the building, including the boundary walls.”
Cllr Everitt said the sale documents also specify that the owner must provide access over the promenade at a width of 5 metres.
He added that there is provision for enforcement through court action but this would only result in compensation rather than forcing the owner to carry out repairs.
Another option for council enforcement is if a building is in a dangerous condition, the council can serve notice requiring work to be carried out or undertake that work – which would then be recharged.
But, Cllr Everitt said: “Our Building Control Service has inspected the building but did not find anything to indicate it is currently a dangerous structure.
“Building Control has also met with the current owner to discuss the building. The current owner advises he is looking to sell the property.
“Since the visit Building Control has written to the owners under the Building Act (dangerous structures) which instructs the owner to monitor the condition of the property and seek competence from a competent builder or surveyor who can outline steps necessary to prevent any deterioration or to execute repairs.”
Cllr Everitt said there are also powers of enforcement under planning but these would deal with the appearance of the building and its impact on the local area and “may not be the most effective power to deal with any structural issues.”
In 2014 a surveyor’s report found that not only was the steel frame of the building severely corroded and needed replacing, but the outer walls were resting on wet masonry with no other support.
A structural survey, which was carried out by Holt and Wotton Ltd, said the toilet block of the hall “in part supports the adopted highway,” adding “some propping has been provided within the building.
Cllr Everitt told members last night that the building does potentially impact the highway and Thanet council will be raising the issue with Kent County Council.
The West Cliff Hall opened in 1914 as a theatre, concert hall and promenade venue, adjacent to the Royal Paragon Baths.
It had been an Italian Garden with bandstand until the cliff was dug out to make space for the new hall. The first 40 metres of the existing promenade along Ramsgate’s West Cliff, are formed by the roof of the concert hall which previously hosted acts including the Rolling Stones in 1964.
Excuse me? Not dangerous? Urban explorers went into the place 10+ years ago (available on You Tube). It was clear then what sort of condition the place was in. Expect another Lido car park incident shortly………
In 2014 it says it has rotten metal beams but 2024 it’s ok???????. Self healing building I think not
What do you expect, council let it rot then sold it, new owners letting it rot, council doesn’t want to take action as its expensive , plus of course they already have the wintergardens and the underground seafront toilets to keep any eye on as they’d let them rot, not forgetting Nothdown House of course.
Labour destroy and never fix assets
Sell it under the hammer labour go to court for you constant blatant lies
2024
It has already been sold for a song. But whatever … cynicism appears to be justified regarding the future of all such buildings. Expensive to maintain no doubt, so left to rot by whoever bought them for 10 bob until such time as they can be demolished thereby producing prime land for sale. Or something like that!
I would love to see heritage buildings such as this one restored. I can’t see it happening though. I wish the obvious sheer greed plus cynicism that surrounds them was writ large. As it is we have to work it out for ourselves.