by Sian Napier
snapier@thekmgroup.co.uk

After 40 years’ selling tiles from a warehouse in Sea Street, Whitstable, Barrie Green is calling it a day.

He is closing the business and selling off his vast stock at sale prices while talks begin on the site’s future.

“I am getting on and a couple of developers have made offers so I have decided that now is the right time to go,” Mr Green said.

“I would probably have carried on for a bit longer but the recession and the financial crisis has brought forward my decision. There are not so many builders on our books so trade has suffered and it just seems like the right decision to take now.”

Mr Green says it is still a wrench for him after 40 years in the building although he is also excited at the prospect of redevelopment.

“I think this is the opportunity to do something really interesting as this is a fairly large site right in the centre of Whitstable,” he said. “I have been in contact with Canterbury council planners and I hope to be able to work with them.

“The site is zoned for offices, residential or hotel with open space. I don’t think offices would help Whitstable and I’d like to see some form of hotel accommodation because the town certainly needs more of that but at the moment we are waiting to see what the developers’ and Canterbury council’s input is.”

Mr Green said he wanted to spend more time with his other business, Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company, and go fishing more often.

He said the sale would carry on until most of the stock was gone and could take up to a year.

His son James will work on the planning permissions. His employees were happy with his decision.

“I have my own feelings about what would be right for the town here and if that happens it will be a good legacy,” Mr Green added. “The tile business has been good to me and it will be a big wrench to go. I didn’t think it would but when it came to putting up the closing down notices I had to get my son Richard to do it.”

Rob Davies, from Canterbury council, said: “Canterbury District Local Plan makes reference to this site for mixed use development. The redevelopment of the site is long overdue and the council would welcome any positive proposals to achieve this.”