đ§ Developers âincredibly encouragedâ after Folca flats proposal approved
Plus: Homes could be built on site of Saga headquarters, and swimmers protest over continued dumping of sewage at sea
Developers behind plans to transform part of the townâs former Debenhams into 17 flats say they are âincredibly encouragedâ after councillors approved their vision for the site at a meeting last night.
The proposals drawn up by London-based firm Arcvelop would see the Edwardian section of the one-time department store, known as Folca 1, converted into homes on the ground, first and second floors, with some commercial space retained at street level.
According to the plans, which went before Folkestone & Hythe District Councilâs planning committee yesterday evening, the building would be altered internally to provide a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units designed to accommodate anywhere between one and five residents each.
Alastair Cross, design director at Arcvelop, spoke in support of the application at last nightâs meeting. âThe scheme represents a much wider vision, one which aligns closely with Arcvelopâs approach as an architect developer,â he said.
âArcvelop is a multi-award winning architect developer with a strong record of restoring and re-purposing vacant buildings, especially on the high street, particularly heritage and non-designated heritage assets in places where people generally want to live.
âFolca represents a significant opportunity to sensitively regenerate an important landmark building for the future of Folkestone town centre while adapting it for high-quality modern town living. Not through demolition or over-development, but through careful and sensitive regeneration.
âMore importantly, active ground floor commercial frontage is retained, ensuring the building continues to contribute positively to the vitality and activity of Sandgate Road and the wider connection towards the emerging Bouverie Square regeneration area.â
Folca 1, which sits on the corner of Sandgate Road and Bouverie Place, and Folca 2, which faces onto Sandgate Road, were purchased by the council in May 2020 following the closure of Debenhams the previous year.
Although the two sections were linked during their time as a department store, they are now in the process of being separated and Arcvelop continues to work closely with the council on finalising the purchase of Folca 1. The local authority remains keen on producing a suitable mixed-use development for Folca 2, which could include working with the NHS to deliver new medical facilities.
During last nightâs committee meeting only one councillor opposed the plans. Cllr Nicola Keen, Labour member for Folkestone Harbour ward, expressed her concern over the lack of associated parking, and questioned how potential future residents would travel. âThis to me is ridiculous and I will be voting against it,â she said.
However, her fellow committee members were much more enthusiastic about the potential for fresh life to be breathed into a prominent building which has now sat empty for years. Addressing the issue of transport, Cllr Rebecca Shoob, Green member for Cheriton ward, said: âI was actually really pleased to see that the cycle parking provision is over and above. You couldnât get much more of a central location, and obviously youâve got the buses just around the corner.â
Cllr Adrian Lockwood, Labour member for East Folkestone ward, also spoke in favour of the plans. âThe council owns this building and theyâve gone to great pains over a number of years trying to find a use and different schemes have been put forward,â he said.
âIt came to the point where the building had to go onto the market and I think we were all just secretly hoping that somebody would come along with a scheme that kept commercial on the ground floor and put some flats on the floors above, and here we are.
âSo in that respect I think weâve been quite fortunate, and I would just end by saying what I think everybody on this committee is expecting me to say, which is that we need more homes. So I will support this.â
Voting on whether to support the officersâ recommendation before themâthat prior approval be granted under Class MA permitted development rules allowing conversion of commercial property to residentialâthe committee passed the motion by 11 votes in favour to 1 against.
Speaking to the Dispatch following last nightâs meeting, Mr Cross said: âThe team at Arcvelop would like to thank the planning committee for its overwhelming support for the Folca 1 proposal.
âWe are incredibly encouraged by the positive response from councillors and their recognition of the wider opportunity this project presents for Folkestone town centre. We are grateful that the committee shares our vision to retain, restore and sensitively regenerate the existing building, helping return it to its former prominence within the town.
âThe Folca 1 redevelopment is about far more than simply bringing a vacant building back into useâit represents a long-term commitment to thoughtful regeneration, high-quality town centre living, and renewed confidence in Folkestoneâs future.
âWe believe projects like this can play an important role in supporting the townâs ongoing revival while respecting its character, identity and history. We look forward to progressing the scheme and continuing to work positively with the local community and council as the project moves into its next phase.â
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News in brief
đ§ Homes could be built on Enbrook Park as part of Sagaâs plans for the future of its headquarters in Sandgate. The company returned to the site last year following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now looking to redevelop the facilities there to meet the needs of a reduced number of employees working on-site. Today between 400 and 500 staff come to work there each day, compared to more than 1,000 before the pandemic brought in hybrid working patterns. Part of the businessâs vision for Enbrook Park is the transformation of the Pavilionâwhich once housed the over-50s travel and insurance firmâs canteen and crecheâinto a space which could also be used by the local community.
âWeâre hoping that once renovated the Pavilion will play a meaningful role in community life here in Sandgate,â Mike Hazell, Sagaâs chief executive, said. âTo fund our plans for the Pavilion and support the ongoing maintenance of the site, we will need to explore some residential development in under-utilised parts of the estate to the east, albeit representing only a small proportion of the overall area. Our intention will be to respect the beautiful character of the wider site, while creating a sustainable and long-term home for Saga and our colleagues.â
đ¨ Drugs, cash and âseveral swordsâ have been seized after police on patrol in Folkestone spotted suspicious activity that led to the arrest of a suspected drug dealer. Officers saw a man with a group of people near Grace Hill shortly after 2pm on May 11 and they approached and detained him. An initial search uncovered cash and a mobile phone, before further searches at a property in the area led to the discovery of drugsâbelieved to be heroin, cocaine and cannabisâas well as around ÂŁ1,000 in cash and the weapons. A 19-year-old from Folkestone was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and possession of an offensive weapon. He has since been bailed with conditions while enquiries continue.
đ Sea swimmers took part in a protest against the continued dumping of sewage on our coastline on Saturday. Around 150 people gathered on Sunny Sands as part of the Surfers Against Sewage Paddle Out campaign, which aims to highlight the ongoing issue of poor water quality and the role of water companies in it. Among those protesting were campaigners who are seeking designated bathing status for Mermaid Beach, which would mean water quality would be monitored between May and October. Currently such testing is only carried out at Sunny Sands.
Michele Sheldon, who was among the protest organisers, said: âSewers were created to improve public health but now theyâre making us and our environment sick. Itâs not good enough when water companies make huge profits and local businesses which rely on tourism suffer the consequences of lack of investment. People are rightfully angered by the fact that sewage ruins the pleasure residents and tourists get from our beautiful coastline, with two of our districtâs beachesâLittlestone and Dymchurchâbeing no-swim zones for yet another year, adversely impacting tourism and residentsâ livelihoods and well-being.â
âď¸ Folkestone & Hythe District Council has begun its first dedicated solar installation programme for council-owned homes. The two-year contract is expected to deliver roof-mounted solar panels to 250 properties and is part of the councilâs campaign to reduce the carbon footprint of its housing stock. More than 450 council homes have already benefited from energy efficiency improvements following the completion of the multi-million pound Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund project. Cllr Rebecca Shoob, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: âIt is fantastic to see the positive impact the energy efficiency measures have already made to tenantsâ lives. The well-being and comfort of our tenants is our priority, and we will continue to invest in improvements that help reduce energy use and costs in their homes.â
đĽ An âexplosiveâ live show brought science to life for current and future students at Turner Free School earlier this month. The science department arranged for the Royal Institution to bring Energy LIVE! to the school, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of scientists. During the one-hour interactive event, pupils were introduced to concepts around energy stores, with the highlight of the show being fire-based demonstrations that had the audience enthralled. There were two day-time shows for Year 8 and 9 students, as well as an evening show for current and future Year 7 pupils and their parents.
Melissa Charbonneau, director of science at TFS, said: âOur school is committed to giving students access to an exciting academic curriculum, and bringing science to life is very much a part of that. All the students enjoyed the event, which we hope has inspired curiosity in them and ignited a passion for science. It was a pleasure to welcome future students as well, and we hope they found the event a thrilling introduction to the hands-on, high-energy events they can expect when they join the Turner Schools family.â
đŽ New highâcapacity compactor bins, additional crews and the return of eâbike collections at key coastal locations are part of the district councilâs plans to tackle littering this summer. Following on from the introduction of five solarâpowered compactor bins last summer, a further five binsâeach with the ability to hold up to 570 litres of wasteâwill be introduced this year, doubling capacity at busy areas along the districtâs coastline. Cllr Jeremy Speakman, cabinet member for waste and street cleansing, said: âOur coastline is one of the districtâs greatest assets, and we are committed to protecting it. We are investing in smarter, greener ways to manage beach litter over the summer months but keeping our beaches clean is a shared responsibility. We encourage everyone to use the bins provided or take litter home if bins are full and help protect these special places for future generations.â
Whatâs on this week
đď¸ There should be plenty of laughs at the Quarterhouse tomorrow evening, May 21, as comics Amy Annette and Katie Norris preview their Edinburgh shows. The work-in-progress double bill kicks off at 7.30pm and you can get tickets here.
đď¸ Rock biopic Bohemian Rhapsody will be showing at the Harbour Arm on Friday, May 22, as part of this yearâs free cinema programme. The 7pm screening is completely free to attend, you donât need a ticket, and spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. You can find out more about this and other upcoming events at the Harbour Arm here.
đ¸ Sonny Flintâs Beano Bluesbreakers will be playing at the Music Workshop on Friday, May 22. The band will be performing tracks from from John Mayallâs seminal album Blues Breakers, as well as other songs of the era. They will be supported by Angeldee. Doors open at 6pm, and you can get tickets here.
đť The Beer Shop in Rendezvous Street will be hosting a Cider & Sour Beer Festival over the bank holiday weekend. âThis weekend is all about celebrating those fun, fruity, funky beers and ciders that are perfect for propelling us into the summer months,â the team say. It all kicks off on Friday, May 22.
Do you have an event in Folkestone you would like to promote in a forthcoming edition of the Dispatch? Send details to us and weâll help spread the word!
Thatâs all from me this week. Sorry that this weekâs newsletter is coming to you a little later in the day than you have come to expect, but I was keen to bring you the outcome of last nightâs vote on the Folca plans so I have been busy typing away this morning. Next weekâs newsletter should be in your inboxes first thing next Wednesday.
All the best, Rhys
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