A war has erupted in the seaside town of Margate between locals and hipsters over a massive 1960s brutalist tower block which dominates the skyline.
Residents living in the iconic Arlington House tower block on the seafront of the town have been torn apart over the issue of replacing old windows with modern, cost-efficient double glazing.
Locals have backed the proposals at Arlington House due to the rusting windows constantly ‘rattling, howling and shaking’.
But a crowd of hipsters, some of whom have flocked to the tower in recent years, have objected to the plans.
The new residents have claimed the tower’s windows are the ‘jewel’ in the crown of Margate and a ‘classic example’ of 1960s brutalist architecture.
But one furious local told : ‘We get a lot of new people move down from London and they seem to love it.
‘I am not sure why. Margate itself is great but that block is not. It lets down the area.’
A war has erupted in the seaside town of Margate between locals and hipsters over the future of massive 1960s brutalist tower block Arlington House which dominates the skyline
The iconic 18-storey building is famous in Margate due to its imposition over the skyline and the first thing tourists see when they arrive at the train station
The 61,000 people who live in the iconic Kent seaside town have been torn apart over the issue of replacing the block’s old windows with double glazing
The controversial application by the management firm of Arlington House has left the town ‘totally divided’.
A grey and imposing building, the 18-story tower is famous in Margate and the first thing tourists see when they arrive at the train station.
Planners want to remove the original 1960s sliding windows and replace them with ’tilt and turn’ ones with thicker frames.
All 142 flats, which are two-bedroom and sell for around £135,000, are set to be impacted.
Margate has enjoyed a tourist boom in recent years, with crowds moving down from London to live and visit. It has even been dubbed the ‘Camden of the south east’.
New owners of the homes, support the idea of keeping the windows how they are and want to see the tower block remain and thrive.
But other locals – and some tourists – believe the windows and the block itself, lets down the area, being the town’s tallest building.
Lyndon Brand, 60, said the windows needed replacing because they are in a state of ‘disrepair’
He told KentOnline: ‘None of them fit properly and they’re all draughty. The wind howls through them.
‘They’re just terrible. They rattle and shake.
‘There are many windows in the block that have had seagull strikes and cracked.
‘In the summer, the heat distorts the frames and cracks the glass.
‘The slightly thicker frames are a small price to pay. You wouldn’t notice it.’
Another resident in the block, who did not want to be named, said her heating bill was ‘astronomically’ expensive and was in support of the plans.
She said: ‘I’ll have to move if this does not happen. My heating bill is insane.’
Natalie Miller, 54, says she ‘loathes’ the block and would like to see it replaced with shops and local amenities
Margate has enjoyed a tourist boom in recent years, with many hipsters moving down from London to live and visit. Pictured: Margate Harbour
The entrance to the iconic Dreamland amusement park and entertainment centre in the town
Simon Parker, who has lived in the block for seven years, said without the tower, Margate was ‘nothing’.
The 67-year-old retired builder said: ‘I will chain myself to my front door to stop them from changing these windows. I know others feel the same.
‘It’s the jewel in the crown of Margate. Without it, the town is nothing. People love it. They are always taking photos. It absolutely divides opinion.
‘The town is totally divided. I fully understand that. I think that’s a good thing. While people are talking about it, then at least they’re talking about Margate.
‘The windows are what makes it unique as well.’
Chris Jenkinson, 27, has lived in the block for four months and said the windows were part of its character. The artist and self-confessed ‘hipster’ said: ‘It would be a massive loss. It makes zero sense.
‘It would be an act of cultural vandalism.’
Simon Pengelly, who has lived in the block for 14 years, told Kent Online: ‘My windows will not be replaced. I will connect live mains to them if they try.
‘They will not change these windows. So at least one flat will look different to the rest anyway.’
He added: ‘It was built in the 1960s when you wore things to keep yourself warm.
‘If you want to heat it like a furnace so you can go around in a t-shirt, then that will cost you.
Plans were first put forward for the scheme a year ago and got amended several times, with firm Freshwater saying the building has fallen into disrepair.
They hinted at a more comprehensive revamp of the iconic tower block, saying: ‘The window replacement forms part of a wider repair and refurbishment scheme which when completed will help restore the prominent landmark building.’
But it is not just hipsters who are fans of Arlington House.
Architectural historian Elain Harwood wrote the building was a ‘stunning’ of architecture in her book Brutalist Britain: Buildings of the 1960s and 1970s which was published in 2022.
Constructed in 1964, she said it features an innovate wave like design to give each flat an east facing window and a view of the sea.
Couple Troy Patrick and Claire Menres, from the neighbouring town of Westgate, agreed and said they were in ‘love’ with the tower.
Couple Troy Patrick, 55, and Claire Menres, 55, from the neighbouring town of Westgate, said they were in ‘love’ with the tower
A Ukraine supporter makes the most of their window space at Arlington House
In the summer, Margate’s huge beach is usually packed with visitors who flock to enjoy the town’s bustling atmosphere
Troy, 55, said: ‘We both love it. It’s amazing. You’ve got amazing sea views. There’s a part of me jealous of the people that live there.
‘I think any town has to change to survive and bring in new people, locals and tourists. But some things cannot change and the block and its windows are one of them.
‘You can look out and see for miles. And that architecture stands out. It’s good. It cannot all be ultra-modern and brand new.
‘It would lose its soul if the windows were replaced as well.’
Claire, who like Troy is a London cab driver, said: ‘Losing those windows would be outrageous.’
Charlotte Brennan, 50, said she was also opposed to the window plans. The town resident said: ‘There would be a riot if that went ahead.’
While local Natalie Miller, 54, says she ‘loathes’ the block all together and would like to see it replaced with shops and local amenities.
The school administrator said: ‘It’s terrible. It’s ugly and awful.
‘I think the area needs to move on and something new there like more shops would be better.
‘We get a lot of new people move down from London and they seem to love it. I am not sure why. Margate itself is great but that block is not. It lets down the area.’
The Turner Gallery (pictured) was opened in 2011 and has become a popular tourist attraction
Tourist Simon Withers, 60, from Weybridge, Surrey, who was visiting Margate on a day-out with wife Vivian, 60, said it ‘ruins the town’
Tourist Simon Withers, from Weybridge, Surrey, was visiting Margate on a day-out with wife Vivian, 60.
Simon, 60, said: ‘It’s old fashioned and just brutal. It looks like a real shame. It ruins the rest of the town for me.
‘It would look much better with more local shops in its place.’
READ MORE: Margate before the mochas! How famous seaside town looked before London hipsters triggered wave of yoga, trendy coffee and artisan bakers
In total, 150 locals have objected to the plan.
In planning documents, Freshwater’s agent HJP addressed these concerns.
It said: ‘We are aware of the various objections and comments made by the residents of Arlington House.’
The tilt and turn windows are safer than sliding windows due to the fact they do not open fully on tilt function compared to sliding windows, so there is less chance that anyone or anything is possible to fall out.
‘The objections also stated they are not safe in high winds.
‘This is incorrect, with tilt and turn windows being designed for and being used in many modern tall buildings.
‘Another common objection is regarding the heritage and legacy of the building and change the fenestration of the building.
‘Whilst this proposal is removing the existing windows, the difference between the existing and new windows is minimal, with the new windows having slightly thicker frames.
‘We do not believe this will change the heritage and legacy of the building.’
Freshwater were approached for comment.
Despite the row over Arlington House, Margate has continued to rise in popularity as a gentrified hipster hangout.
But all the attention has come at a cost, with residents saying the gentrification of the once humble Kent town has caused house prices to skyrocket as Londoners snap up second homes and Airbnb rentals continue to open en masse.
In the summer, Margate’s huge beach is packed with visitors who flock to enjoy the town’s bustling atmosphere
Banksy even painted a work in Margate, dubbed ‘The Valentine’s Day Mascara’. The mural depicts a 1950s-style housewife pushing her abusive husband into a discarded freezer. But it was unceremoniously wrecked by the local council who removed the freezer
Margate was also thrust into the limelight last year when Lily Allen (right) made her acting debut in Sky comedy Dreamland which was set in the town
Research in 2022 showed the town has seen the biggest increase in prices in the past decade with the average asking price rising from £145,311 to £294,209 – an increase of a staggering 102.5 per cent.
Even secretive graffiti artist Banksy has made his mark on the town – literally – by spray-painting an artwork onto the side of a house last year, before it was unceremoniously wrecked by the local council.
Margate was also thrust into the limelight last year when Lily Allen made her acting debut in Sky comedy Dreamland which was set in the town.
The town has recently been heavily featured on a number of ‘cool’ lists, including being listed as having one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in the UK by Time Out.
The reputation of the town, with its sandy beaches and classic architecture, has also been boosted by the 2022 Sam Mendes film, Empire of Light, starring Olivia Colman.