The reopening date of a town’s once-loved fish market – which was destroyed in a blaze – is still unknown, despite works to restore the site being complete.
Whitstable Harbour’s Fish Market and Crab and Winkle restaurant were gutted in a fire in May 2022 after flames spread into the building from a neighbouring cockle shed.
It was a devastating blow for tenants Elizabeth Bennett and her late husband Peter, who died in May 2023.
Owners Canterbury City Council say reconstruction of the new buildings was completed in summer 2024, but in new documents from the authority, a provisional timeline suggests it could reopen in the first quarter of 2026.
In the papers, the return of the fish market to allow local fisherman to sell their catch is outlined as being possible between February and April next year.
No reasons have been given as to why it could still take more than a year to return but it is understood the re-opening date could be brought forward.
A council spokesman said: “Structural repairs to the main building were completed last summer and we are in discussion with the tenant about options for the site to get it back trading.”
The blaze was caused by sparks from a grinder being used by a workman, near the former cockle shed, as part of a project to build a new car park in the harbour.
Elizabeth and her late husband Peter had been familiar faces in the area for decades.
Peter started working at St Augustine’s Fish Supplies in 1984, moving the business to Whitstable Harbour in 1990 – dubbed a “great big empty shed” by Mr Bennett at the time.
By 1994 he would launch the Whitstable Fish Market and in 1999 the Crab & Winkle Restaurant above.
It comes as the harbour is on track to deliver its busiest year since the pandemic as CCC continues to progress with its 10-year strategy for the area.
A funding bid to redevelop the cockle shed into new commercial units for residents and tourists, plans welcomed by businesses in the area, could be ready for submission by September next year.
As of December, 43 ships had unloaded 54,226 tons of cargo since the turn of the financial year. The best-performing year this decade was 2021/22 when 44 ships entered with 77,165 tons.
Meanwhile, plans were approved earlier this month for the Whitstable Oyster Company to expand its food and drink offering at the harbour.
Canterbury City Council gave the green light for the firm to open a new bar area in another shipping container on the site and add a third for storage.
The work also includes the relocation of the existing shipping container from which oysters are served fresh to customers.
The council also hopes to launch a dedicated website for the harbour complex by April promoting the area and its 55 tenants as well as offering “important pre-arrival information for commercial vessels”.
A £1.597 million bid to replace the East Quay ballast berth has received approval from the Environment Agency.
The eight-month-long project could start in September 2026 and would involve moving The Gamecock, a vessel dating back to 1906 which was restored by volunteers at the harbour.
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