Aims of the Society

Written by Jo Dempster

If you have chosen to live in Deal, you will appreciate the charm of this largely 17th and 18th century town. Deal is unique and The Deal Society works on your behalf to help keep it that way. Why We Exist: The Deal Society, originally known as The Deal Protection Society, supported by a galvanised population, helped to thwart a partial destruction of the town which would have meant having modern civic buildings in place of the largely unspoilt seaside town you see today. In 1947 and later during the 1960s many of Deal’s important oldest buildings, none later than the Nelson period, and sections of the sea front were to be demolished. During the late 1940s the excuse was “war clearance”; in the 1960s it was “modernisation”. A large area of the town was to be razed and replaced by tall, Soviet-style municipal buildings totally out of keeping with their surroundings. The Deal Protection Society, as we were then, with the help of well-known and distinguished supporters, the local and national press, along with a large number of Deal residents, were vociferous in their objections to the unwarranted destruction of a large part of this delightful town. Eventually those plans, and another for a link road which would have demolished more of the town, were rejected and Deal was saved. The furore concentrated minds wonderfully: buildings were listed and in the late 1960s Middle Street was designated the first conservation area in Kent. Why We Still Exist: On your behalf we attend meetings of the Deal Town Council and Walmer Parish Council in order to focus on any planning applications that could change the character of the locality. We can advise residents with planning problems concerning buildings which are listed or are in conservation areas. Our special projects programme identifies areas where our financial support would benefit Deal. We keep members up to date with our activities by means of a regular newsletter. Last, but not least, our members enjoy a lively lecture and social programme, and you could too – talks on a variety of topics given in the Town Hall, trips to places of interest, Summer and Christmas supper parties as well as a Spring drinks party where we welcome new members. The more members we have, the stronger our voice can be. You may have a particular expertise upon which we could call, or you may just wish to support everything The Deal Society does. The aims of the Society are To encourage high standards of architecture and town planning in Deal and Walmer To stimulate public interest and care for the beauty, history and character of the town and its surroundings To encourage the preservation, development and improvement of features of general public amenity and historic interest