A sight to bring tears to the eyes - the School of Music being converted to luxury housing
This picture shows what is happening to the School of Music at Deal, following the closure and sale of the site for re-development. A local group had plans to turn the site into a private university, providing education and employment for the future, but the Ministry of Defence preferred to sell to a developer who would convert it into luxury housing.
Plans for the North Barracks include housing, office space, industrial units and storage. There was much opposition to these plans from local residents, who felt that the site should be put to recreational use, but they will probably go ahead anyway.
| A large section of the wall abutting the Strand has been demolished to make an entrance road. |
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| It is not yet clear how many of the existing buildings will be demolished to make way for these planned new developments, but it will make a huge difference to the character of this part of the town. |
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Local residents will sadly miss the spectacle of burly Marines in hobnail
boots and tutus at the annual pantomime. Efforts were made by various local groups to buy the theatre and run it as a local venue for concerts and plays, but to no avail. |
| The Chapel in the North Barracks seems likely to be safe from the developers for the foreseeable future, as it forms the backdrop to the Memorial Garden. |
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What is to be the fate of the
Sergeants' Mess and the South Barracks, with the camp church and bandstand? These
gates have remained locked since that last poignant farewell.
The grounds have been used for grazing sheep, but now the grass is long and unkempt - an unhappy site.
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