The former Warren Court Hotel in Arthur Road has been one of the key targets of the Council’s empty property initiative, after it became derelict and was the victim of two fires. The property has been a major eyesore and has blighted the local community for a number of years.
The Council had previously served a number of statutory notices on the owners, requiring them to carry out remedial works to improve the condition of the property.
These included:
- Section 4 : Prevention of Damage by Pest Act 1949 (Accumulation of Rubbish)
- Section 78 : Building Act 1984 (Dangerous Structures)
- Section 79 : Building Act 1984 (Ruinous&Dilapidated)
- Section 215 : Town&Country Planning Act 1990 (Detrimental to the Amenities )
The owners failed to comply with any of the notices, resulting in the Council undertaking some of the works in default. Despite repeated attempts by the Council to engage with the owner to encourage the redevelopment of the site, no planning applications were forth coming.
Consequently, due to the condition of the site and the owner’s reluctance to bring forward proposals, the Council offered to purchase the property at market value. The valuation would have been determined by an Independent RICS Valuer.
However, the Company wanted a price that was 5 times greater than its actual value. This was perhaps exacerbated by the fall in the local housing market due to the recent credit crunch, which has had a substantial affect on property values.
Consequently, with no reasonable prospect of the condition of the property being resolved, the Council proceeded with Compulsory Purchase (CPO) proceedings under Section 226 Town&Country Planning Act 1990.
The owners appealed against the CPO and the matter was referred to a Planning Inquiry for arbitration. Two days before the Planning Inquiry the owners withdrew their appeal and the Compulsory Purchase Order was confirmed by the Secretary of State.
However, before it was implemented, the Council was able to reach a voluntary agreement with the owner of the property for them to sell it to the Town and Country Housing Group at market value. The cost of making the Compulsory Purchase Order was funded from Kent County Council’s ‘No Use Empty’ campaign. The ‘No Use Empty’ campaign was set up by Kent County Council in partnership with the 12 District and Borough Councils in Kent.
Town and Country Housing Group submitted plans to Thanet District Council last year, which were approved, to build 12 three-bed houses and convert the properties in Arthur Road to eight two-bed flats. The development includes the reinstatement of a terrace, which originally formed the third side of Dalby Square.
The scheme of 20 units of affordable housing in the newly designated Conservation Area will bring a much needed improvement to Dalby Square.
The Scheme costs are in the region of £3.3 Million, the funding for this scheme is made up of:
- £1.2 Million (Homes&Community Agency)
- £200,000 (Thanet District Council)
- £1.9 Million (Town&Country Housing Group)
In addition, Thanet District Council has contributed some land to make the scheme viable.
An archaeological dig has already been completed on the site and demolition works have begun to remove the fire-damaged structure behind the façade of the former Warren Court Hotel, which will be retained. The demolition work is expected to continue until the end of June, which will be followed by the building work. The development is expected to open in autumn 2012.
Cllr. Chris Wells, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said “It’s fantastic news to finally see demolition work underway on this eyesore site that has plagued the local area for so many years. Our empty property officer has worked exceptionally hard to get to this stage. It hasn’t been easy and we had to go down the Compulsory Purchase Order route before we were able to make real progress on this. Now people can finally see results with a stunning development planned that will deliver 20 new affordable family homes that are desperately needed in Thanet. I’m sure that will be widely welcomed, given the complaints we’ve received about this property over the years.”
Town and Country’s New Initiatives Manager, Tim Warren, said “We have been working closely with Thanet District Council on the regeneration of the Cliftonville West Renewal Area and Dalby Square is at the heart of this. The scheme is seen very much as a catalyst to others investing in the area. It will make a remarkable difference to the area and we are proud to be playing our part in making it happen.”
Steve Grimshaw, Kent County Council Project Manager, for the ‘No Use Empty’ campaign, said “It is important that with house-building declining, we look at ways that we can utilise unused buildings to create affordable, quality housing. Thanet District Council has worked tirelessly to ensure this site will have a future and we are delighted to be involved in a project that, as well as providing 20 much needed homes, will also help revitalise the surrounding area. This will serve as a template for future large scale re-developments which will allow us to deliver quality housing in a cost effective way.”