Plans for a new cafe at Deal Castle have been quashed months after fears were raised over the project going ahead at a town centre “race track”.

A proposal was put forward by English Heritage last year to transform a disused building in the Captain’s Gardens – which sits across the road from the castle – into an eatery.

A bid to install traffic calming measures on Victoria Road was also part of the plan to connect the two sites.

Plans showed the crossing would take the form of an island a few metres away from the entrance to the castle, and near the three-way junction of Deal Castle Road, Victoria Road and Gilford Road.

Yet the issue proved key in ensuring the project will no longer go ahead.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage explained: “Given the escalating costs associated with providing the stipulated pedestrian crossing which would have linked the proposed cafe and Deal Castle, we are unfortunately no longer able to proceed with this project.

“We are currently in the process of withdrawing the planning application.

“As far as the cafe goes, there are no plans at the moment as far as I’m aware, but we will still be looking to see if we can find a meaningful use for the building in Captain’s Gardens.”

Dover District Council’s Cllr David Cronk (Lab), ward member for Middle Deal, says it is a shame the plans have been pulled: “The cafe would have been lovely.

“With the location that it’s in it would have been a win-win situation.

“Footfall and employment would have gone up across Deal with the cafe and castle being close to the seafront and pier.”

In response to the application, Richard Smith, senior development planner at Kent County Council (KCC) Highways, said an island would have been appropriate for the location.

He said: "On balance, I think it is better to have the island as with the creation of the cafe people are going to be crossing the road in this location."

But not everyone agreed.

“For me, a pedestrian crossing would have been the best solution as an island on its own could have been unsafe,” Cllr Cronk explained. “Cars don’t always stop there, so it’s a hazard waiting to happen.

“But having a crossing was something we were told couldn't occur.”

Bosses at English Heritage also said it was no longer able to widen a path outside the castle to accommodate the bid due to the proximity to “buried walls of historical significance” that cannot be touched.

Identical plans for the cafe and crossing were previously approved in 2020 but have since expired, prompting the second application.

Had the application been given the green light, the cafe would have provided 28 covers inside and 52 outside.

It would also have been trading from 8am until 10pm from Monday to Sunday.

When the plans were submitted last June, fears were raised from residents about the potentially dangerous crossing.

Former secretary at Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, Peter Davies, noted in the summer the road is “one of the most dangerous junctions for pedestrians” in Deal.

“I walk from the north end to Walmer three times a week - that's the dodgiest part for pedestrians,” he said.

“Any safety measures or traffic-calming measures I wouldn’t have any objection to.

“However, traffic islands regularly get lamped by cars.

“We have had a number of accidents in that area and people take the corners like a race track.”

“A zebra crossing would slow everything down and encourage people to drive sensibly.

“Or maybe a crossing where people can press a button so it will only operate when needed.”

Commenting on the application, another resident said: “Imagine a child jostling for standing space on this 'island' in the middle of a busy road.

“One arm flung out at the wrong moment and a person of any age could be killed.”