Plans to create an art gallery, community space and wedding venue in the old nightclub have been submitted to Thanet council

Most people (of a certain age) from Thanet will remember Club Caprice in Margate - the place where you could guarantee a nightcap and dance when all other venues had shut.

But now, plans to transform the somewhat iconic - yet crumbling - building on Fort Paragon in Cliftonville have been submitted to the district council, showing quite a different vibe to its predecessor.

It involves a new cultural space including an art gallery, educational area and wedding venue.

The Grade II listed building was bought in 2019 by Kerry Ryan, who runs a specialist neon fabrication business, with workshops in London and Miami.

He has created neon artworks for artists such as Tracey Emin, Damien Hurst and Peter Saville to name but a few.

He was commissioned by Emin to fabricate the neon artwork ‘I Never Stopped Loving You’ on Droit House on Margate Harbour.

And now his attention has turned to the vacant site in Cliftonville.

His vision is to adapt the former Club Caprice, which operated as a nightclub from the 1960s to 2016, and create a mixed-use development, including an art gallery, art educational space and wedding venue for hire.

Under the plans, there would be one light industrial commercial unit to accommodate a neon fabrication workshop and one ‘multi-generational live/work unit’.

vPPR Architects, acting as agents on behalf of Mr Ryan, have drawn up a report outlining the scheme.

“The applicant bought the site in 2019 with a vision to adapt the former nightclub into a creative work/live unit with a multi-function area which will be used for high level art exhibitions, art educational workshops, weddings and various events open to the local and wider community,” the firm explains.

“The applicant travels extensively for his work and the residential part of the development is for him and his family while they are in residence in Margate.

“He has a large family and would like to be able to provide a multi-generational living accommodation for them, which would suit his needs and provide for future generations.”

The architects say the ‘flexible venue’ would also include temporary residential accommodation for use by artists in residence and for 24 hour security guard presence during high value art exhibitions.

The scheme includes landscaping the grassed public open space at the front to become a sculpture garden with paths and benches.

vPPR Architects explains: “This exciting combination of uses will create a new cultural space at the border of Margate where it meets Cliftonville, offering educational and career training opportunities.

“The historic architecture will be conserved and celebrated in the restoration of this derelict building, bringing it back to life and in uses that it was designed for originally for the local and wider communities and for future generations.

“The project outcome will have a significant and positive impact on its setting and may well be the catalyst for development in the direct and wider areas of this end of Margate and Cliftonville.”