From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Connor Dunn, 13 April 2016

‘Last orders’ for Margate pub The Holly Tree in Northdown Road damaged in blaze.

A Margate pub which has served the community for nearly 100 years is to close its doors for the final time on Friday.

The Holly Tree, based on Northdown Road, has been run by Lisa Cooke for the last three years after its name change from the Ye Olde Charles and is well-known for live music.

A post on their Facebook page on Monday suggested the pub and land were being sold to make way for a housing development.

Landlady of The Holly Tree pub Lisa Cooke.

The building has been a public house since 1923 and has had live bands performing twice a week since Mrs Cooke’s takeover.

A huge fire damaged the roof and destroyed the kitchen in June 2014, from which the 45-year-old says the business never recovered.

She said: “It’s sad that Thanet is losing another live music venue.

“The fire had a massive impact on the pub, I’d been here a year when it happened and it was a few days before the first England game in the World Cup.

“With an independent pub this size, without a kitchen you cannot compete against the chains.

The Facebook post said: “We are sad to announce that the pub and grounds are being sold off to make way for a new housing development.

“We’ve tried our best to hold out for nearly a year now, but large corporations and their shareholders will always win out in the end – could’ve been worse, might have been turned into a supermarket.”

Mrs Cooke added: “We are still fighting but the chances of us winning the battle are very remote, I have been aware of this for about a year now.

“There is also a very slim chance someone might take it on and hopefully keep it as a pub.”

From the http://www.kentonline.co.uk By Eleanor Perkins. 19 April 2017.

Firefighters tackle roof fire at The Holly Tree pub in Margate.

Crews are continuing to damp down hotspots after a mystery fire at an disused pub in Margate.

Six fire engines and a height vehicle were called to the The Holly Tree pub in Holly Lane at 8.40am today.

The blaze, which looks to have destroyed the two-storey building, was declared under control at 11.30am but some firefighters still remain at the scene.

Picture sent by Lee Solly.

A picture of the scene sent in by Josh Alexander

Lee Solly's picture shows the charred remains

Watch video of the fire Click here. Another video Click here.

A spokesman said: "We have scaled down our attendance to a fire at a disused public house in Holly Lane, Margate.

"A warning to residents to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke from the fire has now been lifted.

"Three fire engines and a height vehicle remain at the scene as crews continue to damp down remaining hotspots.

"The cause of the fire, which has severely damaged the building, is not yet known.

"There are no reported injuries."

The blaze had begun in the roof but spread to both floors of the property.

Crew used hose reels and main jets supplied by a hydrant, bringing it under control at about 11.30am.

Firefighters needed a height vehicle to tackle the flames. Picture sent in by Ian Smiler

Putting out the flames created a lot of smoke. Picture: Ian Smiler

Cliftonville resident Ian Smiler saw the smoke billowing into the sky while driving and changed his route to investigate.

He said: "Being curious, I changed my route to take me towards the smoke. I saw the pub was on fire.

"The flames were shooting out of the roof. I saw the gantry being put into place and I saw them dousing it with water.

"You could feel the heat radiating around in the area.

"It looked to me like the roof could cave in."

The area appears to be taped off and Northdown Road is believed to be closed for safety reasons.

Flames have engulfed the roof of the pub. Picture: Ian Pulman

The flames in the roof. Picture: Daisy Read

The spread from the roof into the building. Picture: Daisy Read

New pictures of the blaze continue to emerge. Daisy Read's snaps suggest the roof of the pub collapsed.

The roof as it collapsed. Picture: Daisy Read

The flames inside the old pub. Picture: Daisy Read

The roof is destroyed. Picture: Daisy Read

This is not the first time the pub has caught fire.

In July 2014, extensive damage to the commercial kitchen and upper floors of the pub was caused by a washing machine plug which was not switched off at the wall when not in use.

From the https://www.kentlive.news By Ben Ashton, 22 FEB 2018

A 92-year-old former pub in Margate that was destroyed in a fire could be transformed into a block of flats, houses and micro-pub.

The Holly Tree pub was destroyed by a fire in April 2017 but now developers want to turn it into an apartment block.

The Holly Tree was built in 1926 as a mock Tudor public house by Charles Reeves and was originally called Ye Olde Charles Inn before it changed names.

It closed down in April 2016 and the building remained intact, but it was destroyed by a fire one year later on April 16, 2017.

Developers Kentish Projects hope to build a four-storey apartment block comprising of 39 flats and a micro-pub, as well as three detached houses and a parking area.

A planning application was submitted to Thanet District Council on January 26 and the plans are out for public consultation until March 1.

In a statement by Kentish Projects, which was prepared on their behalf by POD Architects in January 2018, it said the proposals are of a “high-quality design” and will create a “landmark building”.

The developers believe it will create an efficient use of the site which lies in a “highly sustainable location”.

An artists impression by POD Architects shows how the site would look (Image: POD Architects)

The statement said: “The proposal will also meet the dual objectives of delivering much-needed housing in Thanet, whilst enhancing the public realm by the quality of the design.

“It is a proposal that provides quality on a prominent site at the heart of Cliftonville creating a modern replacement use for the former fire damaged pub.

“This would support local policy objectives to increase the housing numbers of Thanet and provide much needed residential development along with a modern public facility to replace The Holly Tree Public House.”

They also said the fire has caused a “considerable amount of impact” on the visual aesthetic of the building from the street, creating an “eyesore”.

The Holly Tree pub, pictured in July 2017, was left in a terrible state.

But the plans have been met with strong objections from residents who have raised concerns about the scale of the development, visual design of the building, insufficient parking and potentially increased traffic.

A number of letters have been sent to the council and made publicly available online.

The plans include a micro-pub which is intended to replace the Holly Tree (Image: POD Architects)

'Entirely inappropriate'

David Wood, who lives in Cliftonville, said the development is “entirely inappropriate” for what he describes as a “quiet residential area”.

He wrote: “The majority of the properties in the area are two-storey Tudor style houses and The Holly Tree was built in a similar style.

“The new development in comparison is overbearing, poor quality in design and materials would adversely affect the appearance of the area.

“The flats would overlook my garden and many others would result in a significant loss of amenity.”

Residents aren't happy with the proposed height and design of the buildings (Image: POD Architects)

Mr Wood explained how the development would house more than 100 occupants and pointed to the fact there is only 15 parking spaces in the plans and three allocated for disabled blue badge holders.

He added: “There would therefore be a massive increase in traffic and on-street parking on an already busy corner.”

'Monstrosity'

Another resident – Mr Burring – described the potential four-storey block of flats as a “monstrosity”.

He wrote: “It would be completely out of character with the surrounding properties and without question have a detrimental effect on property prices, which is totally unacceptable.”

People believe the building is not in keeping with the area (Image: POD Architects)

Derek and Sharan Rogers also questioned the “insufficient” parking arrangements and said there were no plans in place to “preserve parking accessibility” for residents near the site.

George Georgiou wrote: “The building design is not in character with the surrounding residential buildings.

“There is insufficient allocation for parking for residents including the amount allocated for disabled parking.

“The ensuing increased traffic will create serious safety hazards on an already very busy main road on a regular busy bus route.”

Residents have also bemoaned the insufficient parking allocated (Image: POD Architects)

The cause of the fire that destroyed The Holly Tree pub last year was treated as “suspicious” by Kent Police at the time, who confirmed they have never found a culprit.

A police spokesman said: “In terms of our investigation, officers followed up several lines of enquiry, including viewing CCTV footage but a suspect was not identified.”

A Kent Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "The fire was believed to have been started deliberately. The building was not occupied at the time, and a secured door to the rear had been forced open."

The cause of the fire at The Holly Tree was never ascertained.