Permission has been granted to convert the former Corner House restaurant in Minster into flats.
The application from property owner David Sworder is to change use of the building to two 3-bed flats following demolition of single storey side extensions and building of two single storey outbuildings.
The property was previously known as Morton’s Fork until it was rebranded as The Corner House with Matt Sworder at the helm in 2013.
The Corner House at Minster closed in May 2022 due to the lasting impact of the pandemic and staff shortages. The Canterbury restaurant remains open.
The site is believed to have been in a number of uses over the years, including as a sweet shop, tea room and cafe, a hotel, and a restaurant and use as workers cottages.
Planning documents submitted by Thanet firm del Renzio & del Renzio on behalf of the owner say: “The former restaurant has been vacant for over two years with the lease having been advertised on commercial estate agents with no success.
“Works required to bring the building to meet current building regulations, including increasing energy efficiency, mean the building is no longer viable to be let as a restaurant.
“The site features a Willow tree that is the subject of a TPO. The building is not listed but is in proximity to the Grade I St Mary The Virgin Church and its grounds.”
One letter of support was lodged with Thanet council. There were no objections.
The existing shopfront on Station Road is proposed to be retained, including the inset entrance.
Works will include replacement of a window with a single door and the replacement of existing double doors with a different set.
An existing single storey flat roofed extension would be removed and an additional porthole window added in the main fabric of the building at ground floor.
New openings would follow the timber single glazed aspects of others found on the building. The existing store and utility area along this side would be repurposed as an alleyway with a gate connecting onto Station Road.
A Thanet council planning officer report says: “The change of use of the existing restaurant is likely to result in the loss of commercial and employment space. Works associated with the conversion of the existing building would generate a certain amount of employment through the construction process, however this would be short-term and weighed against the loss of a longer-term employment and commercial premises.
“The site is not an allocated employment site. Whilst it is noted that the redevelopment of the site has the potential to adversely affect the future operation of the site for employment purposes, there are other restaurants and public houses within Minster and this should be balanced against the need for housing.
“The statement provided with the application also sets out that the site has been vacant for two years and, therefore, it is not anticipated that there is any direct loss of employment through the conversion of the vacant building. It is not, therefore considered, that there is any in principle objection to the loss of employment uses on the site.”
Planning permission was granted on February 17.
How sad. That end of Minster was once the heart of the village, but now all that’s left is one pub.
The corner house went right downhill when the main man opened the Canterbury restaurant, it was never going to last once he left. The property isn’t really suited to another use and in current climate trying to operate a restaurant there would be foolish.
Times move on.
We never used it, due to the difficulty of getting there by public transport: It’s only around 4 miles away from where we live in Birchington, but there’s no direct buses or trains, and taxis would make it prohibitively expensive. Shame, because we like Minster, and good restaurants.
It was very popular before the canterbury restaurant opened, but was certainly hampered by its location, the majority of people will be drinking with their meal so the lack of public transport meant you had to rely on cabs, getting home wasn’t too bad as there was Minster cabs who looked after the customers, but getting there wasn’t as easy.
All that said hats off to the man for creating a good business and making the move to a better location. He always picked good front of house and serving staff which with the good food made for a nice evening.
Yes, times move on, but not in a good way. Our amenities and public services are vanishing before our very eyes and once premises like these are converted we will NEVER EVER get them back. And to make matters worse, the government keeps raising the bar for building regulations – or was that just a fragile excuse made by the manipulative property developers?
The Bell, the New Inn and the Hair of the Dog are all open for business.
Of course: but only one of these are in this part, the former heart of the village. The biggest pub there (The White Horse) closed in 1970, and the many former shops are also long gone.
Did you ever use the restaurant?
houses . houses , houses , or should i have said flats , flats , flats , its all about the money nothing else
Well seeing as there’s a shortage of housing as a result of several decades of governments not ensuring enough is built, there are those who will seek out opportunities to create new homes. But as the article says the building has attracted no interest for commercial uses over the last two uears, how long would you have it left empty and fullfilling no useful role?
It’s such a shame that this has been sold for two apartments rather than a single family home.
It is exactly this sort of greedy redevelopment which is contributing to the downfall of Thanet.
And according to someone on facebook, the willow tree has already been chopped down!
Sarah, have you been to the property? As a single family home it’d be huge as house but with little in the way of garden , on an awkward corner qith lots of passing traffic, as a single home it’d never never attract enough interest to make it economically viable.
As a child I would call in the shop on the way to the station to get the train to school. On a Saturday we would go in the cafe next to the tea rooms for a cup of tea and to play the pinball machine, especially if the other cafe was busy with coaches.
School holidays the shop was a regular stop to get ice lollies on the way over the marshes to go fishing.
Do they know its a haunted?