1 week Ago By [email protected] (Louis Walker)
A husband and wife fear their tiny fine dining restaurant will face disruption after becoming sandwiched between two major developments. Suzanne and Scottie Roberts have worked tenaciously for 14 years to establish their exclusive The Dining Club venture in Deal town centre. But concerns are mounting that their tiny spot will become inundated with dust and noise if the neighbouring community hall is bulldozed and a huge former factory warehouse shop is overhauled - with both proposed developments just metres away.
"With all the building work going on around us, we're going to feel like a needle in a haystack. The interruption all of this is going to cause will be huge and could go on for more than a year,” they said in a joint statement. "If you imagine the noise, the building commotion in the area, all of the dust, it is a genuine concern for our restaurant.
"Yes, we can work around it, but if it turns out we have to close for whatever reason because of all the work being done around us, it would have a massive impact. "We're only a small team. We're a husband and wife team with a handful of staff at the weekend - naturally, we don't have a contingency plan.
" But the duo stressed how, once the developments next to their Middle Street restaurant are complete, they have the potential to benefit the area. Developer Rogate Properties hopes to rip down the beleaguered St George's Parish Hall next door, a former community centre, to make way for nine homes. If Dover District Council (DDC) approves the scheme, the Canterbury-based developer is expected to build six houses and three flats.
In official papers to DDC, Rogate stresses there would be astronomical renovation costs totalling £500,000 to provide the extensive repair work needed to the hall. The Parish Church Council (PCC) of St George’s Church first bought the site from the Diocesan Board of Finance in 1954. In the past, it hosted several social functions, including harvest suppers, barn dances and church fetes up until the 1970s.
However, the renovation of St George’s Church in 2007, which involved replacing fixed pews with movable chairs, meant that many of the previous uses were relocated from the parish hall. The sale of the site was agreed at a PCC meeting in 2023, with existing users, including toddler groups, given until the end of the following year to find alternative venues. Meanwhile, the now-closed and neighbouring The Original Factory Shop is set to be split into five retail units, with 17 flats built above.
The council’s planning committee approved proposals in 2023 to transform the building despite concerns over a lack of parking spaces. Speaking at the time, a spokesperson for the ailing high street chain, said: “After the landlord informed us that they were redeveloping our Deal store, we were unable to renew the lease.” Developers behind both schemes argue in planning papers the new flats will create much-needed homes.
But running an intimate fine dining experience just meters from two building sites is, the restaurateurs, say: "Very far from ideal." "We're sure we will be okay though because we have a very loyal following,” they added. With a reservation-only policy, The Dining Club consists of five rooms seating fewer than 40 guests and offers set menus.
Having amassed a database of members, 2,000 Facebook followers and traded for 14 years, the venue scores 4.8 out of five on Tripadvisor. Mr and Mrs Roberts voiced fears that when The Original Factory Shop site is redeveloped, theirs and surrounding streets could be forced to shut, dragging down footfall and hitting traders in the pocket.
Building work is expected to begin this year on the empty unit, while DDC planning chiefs are expected to soon decide on St George's Parish Hall’s future..
