A HISTORIC section of the iconic Blue Boys Cafe has been demolished – two days before it was to be granted protection by English Heritage.
The beloved cafe in Hastings Road in Matfield has been the focus of a campaign pushing to protect the building amid plans by the owner to turn it into a McDonald’s drive-thru.
But part of the oldest section of the building was taken down on May 13, just two days before it was due to be given Grade II listing. A spokesman for English Heritage said it was disappointed part of Blue Boys was demolished while the listing process was taking place.
“As it stands, buildings being considered for listing have no protection from demolition,” he said.
“The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has asked us to review the listing and they will decide if the cafe should remain listed or whether it should be removed from the National Heritage List for England.”
During the listing process, English Heritage discovered the oldest part of the building dated from 1584 when it was a farmhouse, owned by Thomas Wickens, a yeoman of Brenchley.
The wing demolished on May 13 retained a significant portion of its original fabric including wall framing, ceiling beams, partitions and roof structure.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said it understood that, two days prior to the building being listed, the owners, Rexton Investments, demolished part of the building leaving it in a derelict state.
A council spokesman said: “We also understand the owners have appealed the listing decision. This process is dealt with by English Heritage.
“While the building is listed no further demolition can take place. “TWBC has made this clear to the owners and has issued an Urgent Works Notice which requires that the owners secure and weatherproof the remaining structure.
“The current applications will not be determined until the outcome of the appeal is known.”
Rexton Investments declined to comment when approached by the Courier.
Renowned architect and expert in historic restoration Ptolemy Dean had approached English Heritage in March in a bid to have Blue Boys listed as a Grade II building.
Mr Dean, who regularly appears on BBC television series Restoration and is the 19th Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey, is upset that demolition has taken place.
“The rest of the building is still of historic importance and now the borough council should throw out the McDonald’s application and fully restore it,” Mr Dean said.
A spokesman for McDonald’s said it did not own the building, adding: “We do not have a contract in place relating to this site and have no legal rights or permissions relating to the building. Any work that the freeholder has undertaken on this site was without any instruction from McDonald’s.”