Proposals to demolish the Kwik Fit garage in Ramsgate’s West Cliff Road and build 21 flats, basement parking and a dentist surgery at ground floor have been submitted to Thanet council.
Albion Developments has applied to build ‘Ivy Court,’ a part four and five storey building to contain three 1-bed, 16 two-bed and two 3-bed flat.
The dentist unit will cover 195 m² with 4 surgeries, reception and waiting area, staff, and other associated storage and specialist rooms proposed.
Excavation will be carried out to create parking at basement level with four dentist and staff spaces and 13 resident’s spaces.
There will be a semi-enclosed courtyard and ‘potential planters and green roofs to help enhance biodiversity.’
Planning documents submitted by Canterbury based On Architecture say: “The overall aim of the scheme is to provide high quality mixed-use development providing much needed housing close to the heart of Ramsgate, improving the setting and street scene adjacent to the nearby listed buildings and conservation area, and renewing the area with a dentist for the benefit of the public.”
Documents state the site history has been assessed by Lustre Consulting using OS data from Landmark. It was originally occupied by a large house with gardens from prior to 1872 until around 1939.
Redevelopment of the site into a coach station took place between approximately 1947 to 1956, possibly after the destruction of existing buildings on site.
The site’s current use as a garage was established in around 1965-1975, including the construction of the existing buildings.
Kwik-Fit is currently open and has a number of years to run on its lease.
There is also a two-storey corner building fronting West Cliff Road and Hertford Street which was formerly used by The Modern Boulangerie prior to its move to Harbour Street but is currently vacant.
Following pre-application advice changes have been made to the design, including removing top floor from the side of the development closest to listed buildings; corner massing broken up with material changes; moving the scheme back, reduction from 25 units to 21 and mitigating the need for balconies close to the listed buildings by introducing duplex / maisonettes.
In a design statement for the development, it says: “The proposals provide sensitively designed, high quality residential apartments, that are appropriate to meet local need and contribute to the housing need in the local area. These are set around extensive and high quality designed outdoor communal areas achieving biodiversity net gain and accessible and inclusive spaces for future residents.”
However, the developer says it is not financially viable to provide any affordable housing despite a requirement for builds of 10 properties or more to provide 30% affordable housing.
A viability assessment says Net Development Value is estimated at £6.24million but with costs, plus a desired profit of 20% equating to £1.24million, the scheme would be result in a residual land value of -£1,752,113.
It concludes: “The outcome of this Assessment demonstrates than an all-private scheme with no affordable housing or Section 106 contributions, would provide a residual land value of -£1,752,113 and therefore a deficit of £2,556,113 against the benchmark land value. This confirms that the scheme would be unable to provide any affordable housing or S106 contributions, without rendering the scheme unviable.”
A decision has not yet been made on the application which can be viewed on Thanet council’s planning portal under reference F/TH/24/0912
A planning application is mot about some notional profit or loss because it will some time down the line before it is built.if the developer wants an all private building, pay the council recompense to build/acquire social housing elsewhere.
As for s106 who do they think they are kidding? The development will put further strain on the resources of the area, so a contribution is required. S106 is bad enough as it is without the sort of jiggery pokery.
The design is the usual thoughtless standardised neo Georgian apartment block, not unpleasant, but indistinguishable from many similar buildings. Not at all high quality.If TDC allow this without contributions they are as dunderheaded as I have always believed them to be.
Quite agree.
“mot”, haha! Very good pun.
He meant not
On a selfish note I hope this doesn’t go through. It’s such a handy location for a garage.
More and more cars, less and less places to service and refuel them.
Wut. No petrol stations have closed in Thanet for years. Infact, the one by Queens house only reopened a few years ago and is doing ROARING trade.
If you take your car to kwik fit for a service, when there’s two independents who are infinitely cheaper and vastly more qualified near by, well…
(side note, took car there for two new front tyres pre mot…they told me front and back breaks needed doing too, despite them not visually inspecting them, otherwise they would’ve seen that I’d put new discs and pads on that morning, myself.)
They still closed. At least 7 of ’em.
Which and where, were the solely petrol stations, or were they sales forecourts that also had a pump or two?
Makes no difference to those who want to buy petrol.
While we’re at it, why are they all self-service these days? Motorists should be properly served by people in smart uniforms.
“Makes no difference to those who want to buy petrol.
While we’re at it, why are they all self-service these days? Motorists should be properly served by people in smart uniforms.”
Yet, you can’t name any of them?
(1) Upstreet, (2) the (now) car wash near the hospital, (3) next to the now demolished Orb pub, (4) Station Road, Westgate, where the electrical retail shop now is), (5) next to the now closed King’s Head pub at Sarre, (6) the car showroom in Birchington, (7) where the Sue Ryder shop now is in Birchington… I know there were others in Ramsgate and Broadstairs areas too.
You can thank me later.
A far better use of the land and better on the eye.
This is where housing should be built, not on Thanet’s farm land – what’s left of it.
Agreed with you about location and that not building on fear land is good. Haven’t looked at the actual plans.
Another boring ugly designed building for Fanet. I note that the previous owner of Phons 4 U is building flats costing up to £200m per flat all with futuristic design and facilities. Russians or friends of Putin should not apply to purchase. One wonders how much this ugly block in Rasgit will cost to build and how much each hutch will cost.
13 residents parking spaces for 21 flats and you can be sure several of them will have 2 cars. This should not be permitted. There should be a minimum of 1 parking space per flat but as majority of flats are 2 bedrooms, then there should be minimum 30 parking spaces.
The government (regardless of which party it is) must start legislating for all new builds (resident and commercial) to have sufficient parking spaces prior to planning permission being granted.
Absolutely, otherwise there will be more parking in the surrounding streets and it is bad enough now…..
Parking … it’s right in town centre there’s a bus stop outside. Don’t need a car. Not everyone wants to perpetuate the car dominated streets of Ramsgate
Quote me if I’m wrong. But these plans look very similar to what was proposed for the old Ramsgate
Elms social club site . That never happened and might aswell of stayed a social club .all that lost rent and revenue. Unless quick fit will move onto that site .?
” That never happened and might aswell of stayed a social club .all that lost rent and revenue.”
What revenue and rent? If it were a commercially viable business, they wouldn’t have sold to property devs…they did a miniscule amount of events per year in that place.
Myself and my family were members for many years.or RAMSGATE social club 4 dart teams 2 pool teams packed Tuesday night bingo for the elderly packed Friday night for the elderly and young,packed Sundays from 11am to 11pm elderly Monday club in the afternoons packed Thursday afternoons for the elderly. Xmas pantomime for the kids . Saturdays for private events that pretty much happened every wk end . RAMSGATE LOST out on a big community hub when that closed. If I had the money I’d rebuild it and open it up again.
That’s funny, cause I used to work next to it and left work around 8 most evenings, never seeing much of what you said when driving passed it. If what you’re saying is true, then again, it would’ve been commercially viable and not had to sell to developers.
New housing developments in town centres shouldn’t have any parking spaces.
But surely they need somewhere to keep their horses and carriages?
M.M, give it a rest.
National Planning Policy stipulates exactly this.
I notice that this development has a Loop bus stop right outside, with fast and frequent connections to Ramsgate station.
The development is just up the road from Waitrose, and a few hundred yards from the town centre.
I know it’s difficult for you and Rees to get your head around, but most people like to travel outside the town they live in – often to places inaccessible to public transport. Perhaps the two of you can travel beyond the CT11 area together? You might even enjoy each other’s company.
There aren’t many companies that enjoy a 20% profit margin so I’m not sure why housing developers think they deserve one. We can all make up fantasy figures to ‘prove’ such nonsense as what they have said about ‘viability’.
Really? You’re aware most businesses operate on around a 30-70% margin as standard, right?
Scott- A rest from what? I make far fewer comments than some other contributors.
Why are you the only person on here seemingly unable to reply to comments without starting a new thread? Everyone else manages it.
WHY DONT THEY KNOCK DOWN-QUEENS HOUSE INSTEAD-BEEN AN EYESORE-FOR YEARS.
Better still, demolish Ramsgate.
“WHY DONT THEY KNOCK DOWN-QUEENS HOUSE INSTEAD-BEEN AN EYESORE-FOR YEARS.”
Sure, know any other offices in Ramsgate with capacity for a few hundred employees?
You have aggression issues. Cycle or walk more.
I have aggression issues for being a bit sassy with a question? haha christ alive. Peter, you protest, too much…
You forgot to thank me for sharing my local history knowledge.