Folkestone & Hythe District Council Monthly Update: August 2026
A monthly bulletin from F&HDC. This month: Top Award for Housing Standards, Play Areas, Local Government Reorganisation, Licencing Policy, Green Flags and Otterpool.
Monthly briefing – August 2026
Top rating for council’s housing standards
Folkestone & Hythe District Council has been recognised as one of the country’s best performing council housing landlords after gaining the highest possible consumer standards judgement.
The council has been awarded the Regulator of Social Housing's (RSH) highest consumer standards rating, C1, becoming the first council in Kent to achieve the distinction and one of just 13% of councils nationwide to hold the top grade.
The judgement follows a detailed four-month long inspection by the RSH who found that the council met all four consumer standards.
The inspection highlighted a number of strengths across the council’s housing service including a clear commitment to involving tenants in decision-making, a strong, current understanding of its housing stock and high levels of compliance with health and safety requirements.
Investment in district play areas
Amid much fun and ice cream, the exciting new play equipment in Folkestone’s coastal park has been officially opened.
The £750,000 refurbishment of the south east’s largest free adventure playground is offering more play challenges and inclusive elements.
The investment has been funded by the council, including the use of developer levies (CIL and s106) paid to support community infrastructure.
Smaller play areas around the district are also in line for upgrades and a survey ran during July to ask residents for ideas of what equipment they would like to see.
The £670,000 of play area work is being partly funded by the council’s own budget for capital projects and is part of the council’s Corporate Plan commitment to invest in local communities. Developer levies are also being used.
The council-owned areas are at Cheriton Recreation Ground and at East Cliff in Folkestone; three Lydd play areas in Lade Fort, Queensway and The Derings and the play area in Seabrook.
Decision on Local Government Reorganisation
Government ministers have decided Kent and Medway will be served by four new unitary councils from April 2028.
Folkestone & Hythe will join Swale and Ashford in the middle of Kent.
Council leader, Cllr Jim Martin, said that although this option was not the one preferred by the district, he pledged to work together; to keep residents informed of the progress and to support council staff as they carry out the work necessary for reorganisation.
Love Your Beach campaign
Waste crews have been busy keeping the district’s coastline looking beautiful as it is enjoyed during this summer’s hot weather.
Visitors are urged by the council’s #LoveYourBeach campaign to leave rubbish in the bins provided, including the special summer high compactor rubbish units and bulk bins.
Veolia crew members riding e-bikes access areas vehicles cannot get to and early morning patrols work to pick up rubbish left on the beaches by visitors.
Consultation on Statement of Licensing Policy review
The draft of a revised Statement of Licensing Policy is open for comments until 30 August.
As the Licensing Authority for the Folkestone & Hythe district, the council is required to review and publish a Statement of Licensing Policy every five years. The policy sets out how the council regulates the sale of alcohol, late-night refreshment and regulated entertainment across the district.
More information about the revised policy 2026-31 can be found on the council website.
Park Green Flag Awards
Kingsnorth Gardens, Lower Leas Coastal Park, Radnor Park and the Royal Military Canal have all been recognised with the Green Flag Award for 2026/27.
The international quality mark is awarded to parks and green spaces which display the highest environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.
The parks are maintained by the council’s grounds team whose members also planted up a beautiful carpet bed on The Leas in Folkestone. The colourful bed recognises the town’s involvement in the Baton of Hope initiative focussing on suicide prevention.
Otterpool Park public exhibition
Visitors to an exhibition at Sellindge Village Hall learned about the next steps in the process to develop a garden town with 8,500 homes
Otterpool Park LLP, the master developer leading the project, is preparing to submit additional and updated information to the Local Planning Authority later this year.
The information will reflect changes in policy, legislation and guidance since April 2023 when a resolution to grant planning permission for Otterpool Park was secured.