Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Covid and cash-crunch stall vision for rooftop restaurant
Bold plans at ‘standstill’ as language academy loses income during pandemic
A vision to open a rooftop restaurant at the summit of one of Canterbury’s ugliest buildings has been put on the backburner.
Newingate House, a five-storey office block overlooking the ring-road, was set to undergo major renovation, boast a top level dining attraction, and house a number of residential apartments.
But the project has stalled ever since it was given the full seal of approval by the city council last July,
The plans are the brainchild of the Girne American University, which has a recently renamed base - The English Language Academy - nearby in St George’s Place.
Work on making the the bold project a reality is yet to begin. When finally complete, the top-storey restaurant is set to be housed in a ‘lightweight glass box’ based on the cafe design at the Tate Modern.
It will be accessed via a lift, and diners enjoying a meal at the Lower Bridge Street premises will be able to look across over the city wall towards the Cathedral.
Karl Elliot, from Clague Architects, the firm which designed the plans, remains confident the eatery will eventually come to fruition - but warns it won’t be any time soon.
“It’s at a standstill at the moment due to various economic situations,” he said.
“It’s a combination of things including Covid troubles and the language school missing out on income in the past year.
“There is not schedule for when it could restart it again - it’s been shelved so is on the backburner.
“I’m still confident it will happen. They’ve got three years from when permission was granted before it lapses, so there’s two years left.
“They need to get a move on or lose it.”
As part of the development, the building’s 1960s exterior will receive a facelift, with mul
ti-coloured panels installed on all levels.
A previous vision to have an entertainment venue offering indoor crazy golf, table tennis and darts on the lower levels was ditched by the applicants after council officers criticised the loss of office space in the original proposal.
They also argued that a rooftop restaurant would be better suited within the confines of
the city walls, yet the council dropped its stance when the application was resubmitted.
Mr Elliot added: “A number of operators, like local businesses with a presence already, were interested in running the restaurant.
“Anyone could come forward and take it and that interest would still be there. It’s a venue which ticks a lot of boxes.
“It’s in a great location with lovely views towards the Cathedral. The night-time views would be stunning and then you’ve got parking all around the vicinity.”
As part of the development, 10 two-bedroom apartments in a new three-storey building adjoining Newingate House will also be built. A neighbouring office block will be demolished to make way for the homes.
The flats will face Ivy Lane and spread around the back of Newingate House, with there also being a penthouse level on top of the apartments.