Folkestone & Hythe District Council Monthly Update: April 2026
A monthly bulletin from F&HDC. This month: Folkestone Sports Centre Grant, Otterpool Park, UK Town of Culture, Working for Veterans, Folca2, ANPR Trial Ends, Beach Reprofiling, Youth Forum & Excellence in Volunteering Awards.
Monthly briefing - April 2026
Supporting Folkestone Sports Centre reopening
A £2.4m grant, agreed by the council’s Cabinet members, will enable the reopening of swimming facilities at Folkestone Sports Centre.
Councillors endorsed The Sports Trust’s scheme to revitalise the Radnor Park Avenue site – agreeing to fund essential work including pool and changing room renovation, the addition of solar panels and repairs to the flat roof.
The centre was closed in August 2024 and bought by The Sports Trust in May last year. Once open again the council is hoping to take forward the planned refurbishment of Hythe Pool.
Otterpool Park agreement renewed
A new planning collaboration agreement has been signed aimed at supporting and accelerating the delivery of Otterpool Park Garden Town.
The council and Homes England – the government’s housing and regeneration agency – have signed an agreement focussed on securing planning permission for the current scheme.
The collaboration gives the council access to the additional skills and expertise necessary to successfully complete the high-quality scheme and attract the level of investment required to deliver at this scale. The agreement is time limited until December 2026.
Next step to become UK Town of Culture
An expression of interest (EOI) for Folkestone to become the UK’s first ever town of culture has been made by the council.
Submitting the EOI by the 31 March deadline follows a series of workshops at the end of February bringing together more than 90 people to give their views about what makes the town so special.
Central government will decide which towns can go forward to the next stage of the process to submit a full bid.
Working together for veterans
Charities and organisations have pledged to further improve support for military veterans and active personnel at an event organised by the council.
Hosted at the Folkestone Nepalese Community Centre in Cheriton, the gathering was an opportunity to honour those who have served the country and to ensure local groups are working together to assist them.
Representatives from Kent County Council, Royal British Legion, Royal British Veterans Enterprise, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and The Rainbow Centre were among those in attendance.
Visit the council’s website for more information about armed forces in the community – including veteran drop-in sessions held every month.
Folca’s exciting new future
Work has begun on bringing Folca 2 – the Art Deco section of the former department store in Folkestone’s Sandgate Road – back into public use.
Over the next six months Folkestone-based company AW Construction will ensure the structure is watertight and ready for the next chapter of its history. This will involve separating it from Folca 1, replacing the roof and some windows and damp proofing.
Work is continuing on the occupancy strategy, which includes proposals for a medical centre and the internal design of the building.
ANPR trial finishes and new street parking measures agreed
The Sandgate Road car park in Folkestone will return to a traditional pay and display system following feedback on a trial using cameras.
A pilot scheme was launched in February 2024 to test whether Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) would be suitable at that location and elsewhere in the district.
Following an assessment, and in response to the wishes of many residents, it was decommissioned at the end of March.
A new Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) policy has been approved following a public consultation.
Changes include no longer considering CPZ petitions for individual roads as this simply moves the issue to neighbouring ones. In addition, a limited number of business permits are going to education, social/health care and emergency services to provide to staff.
Beach work underway again
The beach management programme which successfully defended homes from Storm Goretti in January has resumed.
The latest phase involves 100,000 tonnes of beach material being moved between Fisherman’s Beach and Folkestone Harbour to create a better barrier to high tides and storms.
Youth Forum
The final meeting for members of this academic year’s Youth Forum took place in March.
The students shared feedback on the Lower Leas Coastal Park design and talked to councillors about issues including housing, waste and community support.
Thanks to members of this year’s Youth Forum from The Beacon, Folkestone, Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, The Marsh Academy, EKC Folkestone College and The Harvey Grammar School for their contributions.
Excellence in Volunteering Awards
The deadline for submitting nominations for this year’s Folkestone & Hythe District Excellence in Volunteering Awards is Friday 17 April.
The annual ceremony celebrates the efforts of residents who go above and beyond to make residents’ lives better and support communities across the district.
Kent Coast Volunteering runs the scheme on behalf of Folkestone & Hythe District Council, with the aim of raising the profile of investing time in the place we call home.
Information on how to put forward your nomination(s) can be found at the Kent Coast Volunteering website.