Businessman’s fury as Dover Town Council reinstalls bicycle rack in front of entrance to his new art gallery

A businessman has been left “stunned” after a council reinstalled a public bike rack directly in front of a doorway to his new venture.

Roger Knight is preparing to launch an art gallery on the first floor of the former Barclays bank building in Market Square, Dover.

After months of waiting for Dover Town Council (DTC) to shift one of its “cycle hubs” away from a doorway he intends to bring back into use, in July he moved it himself.

But this week, he was shocked to discover it had been put back in front of what he intends to be the entrance to the new Square Gallery.

Town council bosses have defended their actions, saying they have a responsibility to ensure that street furniture is managed according to the law – and that they will be seeking costs from the entrepreneur for the relocation of the rack.

But Cllr Knight, who represents Whitfield on Dover District Council (DDC), told KentOnline: “It’s madness. Frustration would be an understatement.

“It really beggars belief that a town council could do this.

“The town itself is being regenerated, and this new business would be another really important thing for Dover.”

The cycle station has been in place at Market Square for about three years. But Cllr Knight says its location obstructs a side doorway that he wants to use for his gallery.

That entrance, which served as the main door when Barclays first opened in 1963, was sealed off about three decades ago but is being reinstated for the new venture.

He says DDC’s planning department has confirmed the change is classed as permitted development.

Cllr Knight, who also runs R.K. Graphics in Whitfield, owns the entire building – including the Toddlerville pre-school on the ground floor. The gallery on the first floor requires a different entrance.

Cllr Knight says it will host work by “influential” artists, including some with links to television, and he plans to open it in two months.

He added: “I want to bring some culture and investment into Dover.

“Opening up the original doorway made perfect sense.

“The planning department at DDC says it’s permitted development, so there are no issues.”

Back in March, he asked Dover Town Council to move the cycle rack just three metres along the wall to clear the entrance, and said he was even willing to do it himself.

When the request was not acted upon, he went ahead and physically moved the frame himself on July 11 – unbolting it, sliding it out of the way, and rebolting it securely. He says there were no bikes attached at the time.

But on Tuesday, he discovered the rack had been returned to its original position, again blocking the doorway. He is now consulting solicitors over the matter.

The cycle hub is one of five in the town installed for the Dover Cycle Hire Scheme, operated by the town council. But the authority says the land belongs to Kent County Council (KCC), which has granted it a licence for the hub.

A spokesperson for DTC told KentOnline: “The cycle hub in the Market Square is on land owned by KCC with a licence for it to be there from the landowner. The town council informed Roger Knight of this both verbally and in writing.

“The hub is not blocking a doorway as no doorway exists behind it. However, having received the request from Roger Knight to relocate it, the town council is already in discussions with its local government partners about relocating the Market Square cycle hub provided costs are met by Roger Knight.

“Roger Knight, as a district councillor, must be fully aware that councils have a responsibility to all residents to ensure that street furniture is managed according to the law and to due process.

“The town council cannot understand how Roger Knight thought he was justified in moving a public cycle shelter without proper permissions simply in the interests of his own personal commercial benefit.”

The spokesperson says the town council will be seeking costs from Cllr Knight for the relocation of the shelter back to its “authorised location” and for costs in “the event of agreement with KCC for a new location”.

They added: “Doubtless, KCC will be seeking repair costs to the damaged paving from his unauthorised drilling also. A little patience would have been both a more professional approach and less costly for Mr Knight.”

Barclays in Dover shut in June 2021 as part of a national wave of branch closures.

Cllr Knight bought the building last October with the aim of creating a cultural space to attract visitors from across Kent and beyond.