Council officials have recommended the Whitstable Harbour Village returns to the South Quay once repairs to the site have been completed.

The future of the village, which opened in 2007, will be decided at a harbour board meeting tomorrow and city council officers have proposed it returns.

The recommendation comes just days after previous lease holder, Stuart Heaver, announced he was to permanently close the site and sell all the huts.

Works to the South Quay will start on Monday, and it will be closed for around six months.

In a report published before the meeting, officers wrote: “The officer recommendation is that the board decide to continue having a market in the harbour as the market is popular with local people and tourists and brings a steady income to the harbour.

“This is also an opportunity for the board to consider various options open to it regarding how a market might be developed.

“The harbour board have the opportunity to develop, sustain and improve the offer to visitors and traders whilst securing the income for the harbour.”

The huts were removed from the site yesterday (Wednesday) by Dover Demolition Services.

Mr Heaver, who managed the village with his Kentish Trader company, said: “After more than seven years of successful operations on the South Quay, and despite many previous assurances from officials and councillors that the village is a ‘key asset’ that is ‘supported’ and that we will be provided with a storage facility for huts during the essential harbour works, Canterbury City Council have made clear that no new lease will be offered because they wish to undertake a ‘retail review’.

“They require vacant possession of the site, which means our permanent shutdown unless they agree another deal.

“It is hard not to feel emotional about this because there was nothing but a badly drained patch of gravel when we first leased the site and most people thought we were mad to open a market.”

Mr Heaver has gained support from the Whitstable chamber of commerce, with its president Brian Hitcham calling for an official inquiry by the city council into the circumstances leading to the village’s permanent closure.

COUNCIL COMMENT

Mr Heaver’s decision to announce the permanent closure of the village angered council officials.

Canterbury City Council’s assistant director of direct services, Larissa Reed, said: “We were very disappointed to read Mr Heaver’s announcement on Friday afternoon which he released at the same time as we were in a meeting with the harbour village traders discussing the future – a meeting to which Mr Heaver was invited and did not attend.

“The meeting with the traders was very useful and positive, and while they are understandably concerned about the future, they do accept the work to the South Quay is essential and the village cannot trade during this time..." - Larissa Reid

“The meeting with the traders was very useful and positive, and while they are understandably concerned about the future, they do accept the work to the South Quay is essential and the village cannot trade during this time.

“Mr Heaver’s announcement came while we were still in negotiations with him over a licence to store the huts at the harbour, so this was also disappointing.

“We have been trying to have meetings with Mr Heaver for some time to discuss the future of the village, but it was only recently that he agreed to meet.

“After that meeting, we worked hard and quickly to find a location for the huts and were confident the licence issue would be resolved.

“The situation with the future of the village has remained unchanged for some time.

“With Mr Heaver’s lease on the village ending and the South Quay work now urgently required, it is the right time for the harbour board to review what’s on offer on the quay to make sure it is still what the harbour and town needs.

“This is simply responsible management and it would be more concerning if the board did not do this.

“The board will meet tomorrow (Friday) to discuss the way forward for the village.

“We know there is a lot of interest in this in the town and look forward to letting the local people know the outcome.”