HOTEL FACADE DEMOLISHED

The beautiful facade of the fire damaged hotel in Northdown Road, Cliftonville, is being demolished and Thanet District Council appear unaware that the work is taking place.

Ward Cllr. Clive Hart said "I am not at all happy with developments regarding the fire damaged building in Northdown Road.

Some time ago now TDC officers assured me that they would keep a very close eye indeed on the demolition work taking place at the rear of the property and that they would make sure the work was legally halted before the demolition company got through to the beautiful old facade in the main Northdown Road.

However, TDC officers appeared unaware that the facade was being worked on until I rang them Wednesday morning to inform them of what was happening.

I am absolutely wild about this, so many people, adjacent businesses and local residents, were 'kept in the dark' whilst the work was carried out and now it is just too late.

TDC is supposed to be attempting to create a conservation area in Cliftonville, yet it appears our District leadership can't even make sure that work on a highlighted prime site in Northdown Road is monitored correctly".

Published by Cllr. Clive Hart - 44 Northdown Road, Cliftonville. CT9 2RW.

Ed. I think Clive is onto something quite interesting here, this is to do with protecting our local buildings that are not in themselves of great architectural significance but are part of an overall context that makes our towns identifiable as our towns.
Click on the link to see what I mean http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/NorthdownRoad/id9.htm

This in fact works the other way too where areas of important architectural significance are restored and new buildings built, in keeping with their surroundings that the areas lose much of their individuality.

For one reason and another, I often visit Cambridge, St Albans and Canterbury, beautiful as the architecture is these town centres have all had the same treatment and I find my eye staring to tire in ordinary parts of these towns centres, in a way that it doesn’t tire in Thanet.

To be honest what with the shops all being the same, one is often hard put to tell which of these towns one is in.