The site of the derelict Western Undercliff café in Ramsgate is up for auction again, this time with Clive Emson auctioneers.
The property was last listed by Kallars property in March with a £1.2million price tag after gaining new planning permission last December.
Now it is to go under the hammer this month with a lower guide price of £750,000-£800,000.
Approval was given to an application by Custom Build Developments Ltd to demolish the existing café building and build a new ground floor cafe; public toilets; sub station; and 13 flats over five floors.
The cafe shut in 2014 when a burst water pipe forced its closure.
A fundraiser was launched in 2018 as part of a bid by The Hideaway – made up of members from the Western Undercliff Regeneration group – to buy the site from Thanet council as a community asset.But the authority made a decision to dispose of the site.
The site was sold by Thanet council at auction for £100,000 in 2018.
Plans submitted by then-owner Western Undercliff Ltd for a café, restaurant and flats in a “ship” shaped build were approved at the end of 2020 but ditched in January 2021 by the developer in a row with Thanet council over further financial contributions.
The site went back to auction in December 2021 with the planning consent still valid and sold for £600,000.
Amended plans were lodged with the council in April 2023, using the same footprint but including a reconfiguration of the residential units and axing the previously planned top floor restaurant. Instead this will be replaced by one large feature apartment and the addition of an extra floor of residential accommodation – creating a six storey build.
The flats will be a mix on one and two-bed. The public toilets will be managed by the operator of the café.
Thanet Local Plan requires that for developments exceeding 10 dwellings, 30% affordable housing be provided on site. The project would have required four affordable units but the applicant raised viability concerns, including abnormal costs, such as sea defences, a pumped waste system, an electricity substation, and costs for oversail rights, easements and licenses from the council and harbour.
Bidding for the auction goes live on July 22 and ends on July 24 at 11am.
