14/02/13

Dozens of homes to be unveiled in £5m Margate housing project

New housing development in All Saints Avenue, Margate

by Kathryn Tye

ktye@thekmgroup.co.uk

Affordable housing worth almost £5million is to be unveiled in Margate tomorrow.

A total of 41 new homes have been built in the formerly neglected areas of Dalby Square and All Saints Avenue.

The £2.1million project to transform All Saints Avenue, previously a disused access road to the train station project, comprises seven three-bed houses with a further eight one-bed flats and six two-bed flats in the glass walled Rollercoaster House.

Concept architect Tim Snow designed a flowing roofline for the development to replicate the waves on the sea.

Bird boxes have also been installed in several eaves of the buildings and wildflowers, native trees and shrubs have been planted. Undercroft car parking is provided for the flats and all the houses have parking spaces in a private courtyard.

The homes were built by Coombs (Canterbury) Ltd, with a £1.26million grant from the government's Homes and Communities Agency, and all are for affordable rent.

Built at a cost of £2.7million, the Dalby Square development consists of eight two-bed flats and 12 three bed-houses.

It transforms what was widely known as the number one "grot spot" in the area – the derelict Warren Court Hotel, in Cliftonville.

The building famously featured in the 1989 Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special as the darkened, run down hotel where Del and Rodney stay on a "Jolly Boys' Outing" to Margate.

Warren Court Hotel has been empty for many years and was a prime target for vandalism, squatters and arson attacks.

The development received £1.7million in funding from the HCA and £200,000 from Thanet District Council (TDC). TDC also donated land next to the hotel to enable additional housing to be provided.

It maintains the original façade of the Warren Court Hotel, in Arthur Road, with new building behind to provide eight two-bed flats on the Arthur Road side of Dalby Square.

Seven new three-bed houses, spanning three storeys, each with their own private balconies and sea views have also been built on the front of Dalby Square.

There are an additional two three-bed houses on the Arthur Road side of Dalby Square and a further three on the Dalby Road side.

The homes were built by Croudace Partnerships Ltd and the architects were Churchill Hui.

Both developments are partnerships between Town & Country Housing Group and Thanet District Council with the government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) providing grants.

Kent County Council (KCC) was also heavily involved in the Dalby Square project through its No Use Empty campaign.

Mark Dance, KCC's cabinet member for regeneration and economic development and pictured above right, said: "It is great to see more quality, affordable housing being delivered in Margate. KCC, in collaboration with Thanet council, has devoted considerable resources to creating much needed housing in this area through the No Use Empty scheme, with the Warren Court Hotel being one of the flagship projects.

"This was once one of Margate's landmark buildings, but in recent years has fallen into disrepair and become a magnet for crime and antisocial behaviour. We hope the rebirth of this building will inspire further regeneration work being undertaken within the surrounding area in order to make Margate a desirable place to live."