Plans for a new cafe and community centre near a seafront pool at Walpole Bay, in Margate have been delayed over some concerns.
Thanet District Council (TDC) said the proposal would provide “much-needed” facilities for swimmers, but some residents have objected, saying the area needs “rewilding, not redevelopment”.
The project is among the schemes backed by the wider £22.2 million Margate Town Deal, which TDC secured in 2021.
A planning application for the cafe and community space in a converted shipping container was submitted to the local authority earlier this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
One planning committee member said the proposal would provide “much-needed facilities” for the “ever-growing number of sea swimmers and bay users, including a small cafe, toilets, showers and a flexible activity space. The cafe will also create jobs and improve natural surveillance on the promenade to mitigate antisocial behaviour”.
Councillor Becky Wing criticised the plans, saying sea swimmers want “a peaceful experience in the sea uncluttered by this sort of stuff”.
Council planners voted down a motion to approve the development after a debate. The committee then voted instead to visit the site on 5th December before making a decision at a later date.
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