The derelict Western Undercliff café building in Ramsgate is being demolished today {November 7}.
Workers have been onsite today {November 7} to bring down the remains of the building which has not been in use since 2014.
The site has new owners once again following an exchange of contracts.
The last owner was Custom Build Developments Ltd which paid £480,000 for the site in 2022. They have now exchanged on the property.
The price and new owner have not yet been revealed but is understood to be connected to Dartford based GPML. That firm is currently working on properties in Thanet which will be purchased by the council. These are six temporary accommodation flats in Margate Road and four, 4-bed townhouses in King Street.
The café and toilet block are derelict with much of the front of the building now missing, panes smashed and the inside being used by rough sleepers. It has also suffered excessive vandalism and is full of rubble, broken glass, burnt tents, rubbish and discarded clothing and bedding.
However, the building is now being flattened. It has been empty since the property was severely damaged in October 2014 as the result of the failure of the main Southern Water sewer.
Thanet council sold the site in 2018 for £100,000 to Western Undercliff Ltd. Plans submitted by 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 by that buyer, Custom Build Developments Ltd, using the same footprint but including a reconfiguration of the residential units and axing the previously planned top floor restaurant. Instead that was replaced by one large feature apartment and the addition of an extra floor of residential accommodation – creating a six storey build.
The flats were listed as a mix on one and two-bed. The public toilets were to be managed by the operator of the café.
Planning permission was granted in December 2023 and includes permission for the demolition of the existing cafe building.
Watches, golf clubs , holiday breaks , envelopes anyone ?
First buyer made a tidy £ half million profit in just a few years. Not bad going. Why couldn’t TDC have done that?
Simple answer.
No business acumen.
TDC sold the site as it stood.
The eventual buyer added planning consent for substantial redevelopment – thus increasing the book value.
It was TDC that granted said consent.
‘Nuff said . . .
I’ll have a holiday break Dave how do I get in touch ?
More local history gone forever!
i like daves comments and i agree with his opinion , its a well known fact about corruption in thanet with planning applications , and it has gone on for many years . sadly no one is ever caught beacause the problem runs so deep within the system ,