Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#1
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#2
Previous demolitions have had to have planning permission and have haven't been given permission until they know what going to go up in its place. Would be interested to know.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
Two things here.
A) Why are KCC involved when planning permission has to be given by DDC?
B) I believe the façade is listed.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#4
I wondered what KCC had to do with it as their involvement was about road closure.
The listed facade will mean nothing once it accidentally falls down or is deemed unsafe, wasn't that what happened to the old post office frontage that became Woolworths.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#5
Yes it was Jan - supposed to stay up and be built around it, but as you rightly say, that came down too (unsafe apparantly).
Roger
Guest 767- Registered: 30 Aug 2012
- Posts: 458
#6
Re #4, since when did the listing of historic buildings, buildings of interest , Brook House, the old Post office facade etc etc matter to DDC? thank god that the castle is out of thier hands as I wonder what they would do with all that land, car parking perhaps? Dover is about to lose yet another historic building, I know you cannot save everything everywhere,but surely the facade of the country's first art-deco cinema is worth something? I so agree with Jann no doubt the whole thing will be condemed as unsafe and so pulled down, like so much else of this once old town of ours.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#7
Forgive me if I appear to be a Philistine Phil, but the facade of the old Gaumont cinema (to me) has no architectural merit atl all.
It may well have done when it was still the Gaumont, but years of neglect from the various owners have left it in a state that cannot be saved.
Buildings of architectural merit are saved and are important to DDC and everyone one else. Brook House was constantly flooding, the basement always had water in it and that was causing it to rot.
I don't know who, if anyone gave the nod for it to be knocked down, but after DDC sold it, the next owners did very little with it, so it wasn't surprising it got into the state it did.
DDC didn't own the old Post Office building, but they did put a condition on the new planning permission for Woollies, that the facade was to stay, sadly, whoever knocked down the rest of the building must have damaged the facade, as it then became unsafe.
DDC are not responsible for everything in Dover - good or bad.
Roger
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#8
Nothing will convince me that the post office damage was accidental, that lovely old fashioned look would never have fitted in with the modern image Woollies would have wanted.
The Granada/Images/Snoops frontage is nothing really special and a brand new Georgian style front to whatever is built there might look a lot better.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#9
You may be right Jan, I don't know, but it wasn't DDC's fault.
When a Planning Application comes in, we'll see what is intended for the building.
Roger
Guest 904- Registered: 21 Mar 2013
- Posts: 312
#10
It's an eyesore that has rotted beyond architectural stability. The collapsing roof is sucking the walls inward, whilst the Dour runs beneath it, which means it will always be susceptible to flooding. It is constantly being broken into and provides yet another haven for the drug taking scumbags (they even deal drugs in plain sight at the front of the building).
I don't believe it is listed in any shape or form. Better to bring it down, open up the route of the Dour and when (if?) DTIZ finally gets going, turn it into either green space, or disabled parking bays.
Judith Roberts- Registered: 15 May 2012
- Posts: 637
#11
I agree that it does seem to be beyond saving. If it is demolished before the multi storey car park behind it then the view walking down Castle Street will be pretty grim. If only we could see the start of building work on the DITZ site soon rather than yet more derelict spaces and ugly hoardings.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#12
Centurion House planning app to demolish has been submitted by DDC.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#13
There is an online campaign/petition (as ever) to save this building for some reason, hopefully this photo will clarify the future.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#14
Pull it down it is far pass the time to save it the cost would be more then NEW BUILD.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#15
Any petition is years to late, having seen pictures of the inside the building is past saving never mind the horrific cost that would entail.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#16
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#17
Only that should have ben done years ago.You can not hold on to all the old buildings it costs more to hang onto them then to build a new one. There is no history behind it yes we had live shows on there in the 1950s and 1960s but it had been misused over the last 3o years so like others still standing in the town pull them all down.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
#18
Only external work going on will be roof removal at present.
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,599
#19
Will there be something covering the building or will it be open to the elements?
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
#20
Doubt it. Nothing inside to save. Understand contractor will await instructions.
