Actress Miriam Margolyes in fight over disused theatre

Miriam Margolyes said as an actress she wanted every theatre to survive

Actress Miriam Margolyes has hit out at plans to build 91 flats on the site of a former Edwardian tearoom and theatre.

Architects have submitted what they said was a "rescue plan" for the Leas Pavilion in Folkestone, Kent, enabling a £4m restoration of the site.

Ms Margolyes, of Dover, said the theatre would not be restored and she was "angry and disappointed".

Architect Guy Holloway said the scheme included a community space that could be used for events, theatre and music.

Ms Margolyes, who played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter, said: "As an actress, of course I want every theatre that's possible to survive and the Leas Pavilion in Folkestone is one of the most beautiful theatres in the country."

She said: "It's not going to be restored as a theatre....nowhere has there been a request for a noise assessment, and you can't have a theatre with flats on top, it's not going to work."

The Leas Pavilion opened in 1902 as a tearoom

Mr Holloway said: "We are creating a multi-functional community space, which can be used for public events, music events and as a theatre space. The building will be fully sound-proofed and converted to be flexible."

He said it would be a smaller space in order not to compete with Folkestone's Leas Cliff Hall or Quarter House Theatre.

The Leas Pavilion opened in 1902 as a tearoom and was later used as a theatre until it closed in 2007.

Between 1914 and 1918, it was where many WW1 soldiers had their send-offs.

Grade-II listed

The Victorian Society included it on its endangered buildings list in 2017.

Friends of the Leas Pavilion chairwoman, Liz Mulqueen, said if this development failed, others could apply to remove the building's Grade-II listing and demolish it.

She said: "To bring it back for performances, for theatre, for community use... and for them to be paying £4m for this restoration, it's more than we could hope for."