Derelict former concert hall to be auctioned

A derelict former concert hall in Kent, where the Rolling Stones once played, is to be auctioned with recommendations to turn it into a large hotel.

The West Cliff Hall, on the seafront in Ramsgate, was built in 1914 and has been disused for nearly 20 years.

The building, constructed into the cliff front, had previously been used as an entertainment venue and a motor museum.

Savills estate agent said it was advertising the property with "positive pre-application advice for an 89-bedroom hotel".

The empty site covers approximately 0.75 acres (3,058 sq miles).

The proposal would see a hotel with rooms built on six levels.

The concert hall, which is sunk into the cliff, was built on the site of Victorian gardens and a bandstand.

Many 1960s groups played at West Cliff, including The Rolling Stones in 1964.

A campaign in the 2010s to turn the building into a community hub for young people was backed by actors Peter Capaldi and Brenda Blethyn, whose mother was a cloakroom attendant at the venue.

Full planning permission will be needed to convert the building into a hotel.

The auction of the West Cliff Hall is set to take place on 29 May, with a guide price of £325,000.

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