Folkestone Invicta Football Club have unveiled significant plans for the redevelopment of their Cheriton Road ground—which the club hopes will transform the stadium into a community hub featuring a gym, restaurant and education centre to support its youth programme.
The ambitious proposals have been drawn up in partnership with Hythe-based architects Hollaway Studio, the practice behind local landmarks including the F51 skate park and harbour-side restaurant Rocksalt. Artist’s impressions of the renovated stadium were released last week and show two sides of the ground transformed with new stands and modern facilities.
Since taking control of the club in the summer of 2023, a consortium led by GSE Group has invested significantly in upgrading facilities, with a refurbished clubhouse bar and the installation of a new all-weather pitch. But with the club securing promotion to the National League South, after winning the Isthmian League Premier Division title last season, there is now greater pressure on ensuring the stadium is fit for a club seeking to establish itself further up the football pyramid.
The ground is currently owned by Folkestone & Hythe District Council, with the football club operating the site under a short-term lease agreement. Without the security of land ownership or a significantly longer tenure, it is unlikely the club’s backers would wish to invest heavily in the site, but they say “a positive dialogue” with the local authority has started.
Announcing its plans for the ground, the club said: “Folkestone Invicta Football Club now stands on the brink of an exciting new chapter, with ambitious plans to increase support and a clear desire to build something that is sustainable not just for the club but for the wider Folkestone community.
“We want to share our vision because we believe that our supporters and the wider community deserve to see Cheriton Road at its full potential, and because ultimately we cannot achieve it without your support.
“Up until now, we have made changes where possible to generate additional revenue, improve facilities and contribute to the ongoing success of the club. But without significant investment and long-term security, the club risks being held back from reaching its full potential. Our promotion to the National League South stands as one of the club’s proudest achievements, but this success has also highlighted the limitations of our current stadium.
“We are now under pressure to make changes to the ground, to meet the requirements of higher leagues and to provide a better experience for end users, creating a sustainable future that allows our club to continue to go from strength to strength.”
Invicta have made a positive start to their first season in the National League South, remaining unbeaten in August and sitting third in the table with a game in hand. The bank holiday weekend saw the Stripes record a pair of 2-0 wins, away at Slough Town on Saturday and at home to Hemel Hempstead on Monday.
The vision for the club’s Cheriton Road home imagines the ground becoming a destination for the community seven days a week, rather than just on matchdays, thanks to the redevelopment of two sides of the ground closest to the Harvey Grammar School and the A2034. The plans include a relocated and redeveloped bar, a dedicated education centre with multiple classrooms to support the club’s youth system, and a gym and studio space offering fitness classes, personal training and rehabilitation.
“Our intention is to continue to engage with Folkestone & Hythe District Council, who of course have their own issues to consider, to seek a solution that allows these ambitions to become a reality and achieves the goals of both parties and our supporters,” the club said.
“However, we are at the stage where it would feel wrong to continue those discussions without announcing our vision to the most important people at our club—the supporters. Your support of the team on the pitch has always been incredible. Now we need that same support off the pitch to help make this vision possible.”
The football club will be staging a Fans’ Forum event at the Dugout next Monday, September 7, at 6.30pm where supporters and residents will be able to discuss the plans for the future of Cheriton Road, which can be seen in more detail here.
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News in brief
🏊 Unexpected costs of more than £60,000 resulting from break-ins and vandalism have contributed to the reopening of Folkestone Sports Centre being delayed, the site’s new operator has confirmed. The project to bring the Radnor Park Avenue leisure centre back into public use is being led by The Sports Trust, which also runs F51 and Three Hills. In an update released last week, the charity revealed plans for a new entrance to the centre and said it hoped to be able to announce a new timetable for reopening soon.
A spokesman for The Sports Trust said: “Following one of the break-ins, smashed glass entered the pool water. The pool had to be emptied to prevent the glass from damaging the newly installed equipment. This was an unforeseen issue and has added further time to the project. Unfortunately, this was completely outside of our control and the impact of the damage has affected the project in more ways than we initially anticipated.” Read the full statement and update here.
🌊 Southern Water released sewage into the sea for five hours on Saturday in what it describes as “a genuine storm overflow release that is likely to have impacted water quality” at Folkestone. The release at The Stade began shortly after 4.30pm and concluded shortly after 9.30pm. Southern Water says it “would have started to impact the bathing water” at around 7.30pm that day.
🎸 Plans for a bronze statue honouring The Jimi Hendrix Experience bass guitarist Noel Redding have been submitted to Folkestone & Hythe District Council. The proposals have been drawn up by The Noel Redding Project and would see the artwork mounted on a stone plinth in South Street close to the harbour. Redding was born in Folkestone in 1945 and was educated at the Harvey Grammar School. He joined the legendary trio in 1966 and played with bandmates Jimi Hendrix and Mitch Mitchell until 1969.
A heritage statement submitted in support of the plans states: “Noel Redding has long been celebrated in Folkestone as one of its most famous musicians, if not the most famous. There have been several exhibitions dedicated to Jimi and Noel held in the town. A statue of Noel would be a fitting memorial.” A decision on the plans is due by October 21 and the full details of the proposed statue can be found here.
💰 More than £400 has been raised for South Kent Mind as part of our 2026 fundraiser in support of our charity of the year. In October a three-strong Dispatch team will be taking part in a fire walk at Sea Scrub Sauna, and we would be delighted if you would consider donating for this very worthy cause. You can find our fundraising page here. Thank you to everyone who has given so far, your support is greatly appreciated.
🦭 A baby seal is recovering at a rehabilitation centre after being found washed ashore in Folkestone last week. The pup—pictured above—was discovered by council staff during a routine patrol on Mermaid Beach and they swiftly brought in marine rescue experts to help. Underweight and dehydrated, the seal was taken to a centre where he will begin his recovery before eventually being released back into the sea.
🌻 Green-fingered council tenants have been recognised for their efforts in an annual gardening competition run and judged by Strategic Tenant Advisory Panel members Gillian Jenkins and Gemma Atkins. Gardens were visited earlier in the summer and certificates and prizes were given to the winners last month. All winners were awarded a £60 voucher, with the runners-up in each category receiving a £40 voucher.
Cllr Rebecca Shoob, district council cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: “I am incredibly impressed with the hard work and dedication of the gardeners, especially given the tough weather conditions they’ve faced this year. I would like to thank all the tenants who took the time to submit their entries, it has been fantastic to see the different ways their green spaces are nurtured and cared for throughout the district.” Full details of the winners can be found here.
🎙️ Harry Enfield announces Leas Cliff Hall date
Good afternoon, and welcome to this week’s On The Town, your guide to what’s happening here in Folkestone. It’s great to have you with us, and we hope you’ve had an enjoyable bank holiday weekend despite the downpours. The Dispatch did not make it down to the harbour for the fireworks on Saturday night, but we’ve seen plenty of stunning pictures online …
That’s all from me this week. Just to let you know that I will be attempting to take a bit of a break in the coming weeks, so your regular Monday On The Town what’s on email will return on September 21. I will be endeavouring to get the main Wednesday Dispatch to you during this time, as I have a few stories already in the pipeline, but apologies if these are a touch shorter than you have come to expect. Normal service will be resumed in due course!
All the best, Rhys
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🏢 Developers reveal Shoreline sales update
More than three-quarters of the 56 apartments marketed for sale at the exclusive Shoreline development on Folkestone seafront have now been snapped up, the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company has revealed.