Folkestone & Hythe District Council Monthly Update: November 2025

Funding agreed to help homelessness

A £5m investment has been agreed by the council to purchase 20 more properties to be used for homeless households in the district.

Cabinet members agreed that using council-owned properties as temporary accommodation reduces the reliance on private, nightly-let temporary accommodation and is more cost-effective in the long term.

Where possible the council will work to keep residents in their existing homes or assist them into alternative accommodation to avoid the need for temporary arrangements.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

District councillors will be meeting on 19 November to discuss the options that have been put forward for LGR in Kent.

An extraordinary meeting of the full council is being held at 4pm. Following this meeting, members of the council’s Cabinet will meet and agree the district’s preferred option for Kent.

One or more proposals must be submitted by councils in Kent to central government by 28 November. Following this it is expected there will be public consultation on the recommended option(s) for Kent in spring 2026. 

Design codes

Sunday 9 November is the deadline for completing a survey and helping to shape future policy on the design of new development in the district.

Folkestone & Hythe, along with other neighbouring councils in east Kent, have been awarded government funding to prepare what are known as design codes.

The codes will be used to determine whether planning applications are acceptable in design terms and will support the adopted Local Plan.

Rural reminder

As a result of central government funding the council has £70,000 available to provide capital grant funding for businesses and community projects in the district’s rural areas.

More information can be found on the council’s business website.

Zero hour

The council has joined a campaign pushing for the Climate and Nature Bill to be enacted by central government.

The campaign group Zero Hour believe this would address the full extent of the climate and nature crisis in line with the most up to date science.

Almost 400 local authorities and 200 MPs have also signed up in support of the campaign.

Death of former chair of council

We were saddened to learn of the death of former district council chair, Philip Martin on 4 October. 

Philip was first elected to Folkestone & Hythe District Council in the 2000s, going on to represent the North Downs East ward between 2011 and 2023.

Cllr Martin served as chair of the council for two years from May 2021 to May 2023 - a role he embraced with great enthusiasm and energy.

Folkestone – A Brighter Future

Temporary bus shelters have been installed in Middelburg Square, Folkestone.

Due to supply chain delays, the contractor Bauer Outdoor Media are unable to install the permanent shelters until next year.

Work creating the rain gardens element of the project is underway. The gardens will collect run-off water and filter pollutants to water vegetation and provide a natural habitat for wildlife.

Bouverie Square will have an underground filtration system to collect and reuse rainwater to water surrounding plants. Cheriton Road will have rain gardens and 18 new trees (a share of the 70 being planted in the overall project) planted along the road.

Award- winning council team

Congratulations to members of the council’s benefits and welfare team who have won a national award for helping the district’s most vulnerable residents.

The Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation award recognises “exemplary delivery” of social inclusion policies improving the life of those experiencing the impact of poverty and deprivation.

Folkestone Central Library

A joint approach to bring the library in Grace Hill, Folkestone, back into use as a multi-use centre has been welcomed by district councillors.

Creative Folkestone and Sunflower House announced at the end of last month that they propose working together to secure central government funding.

The vision is to create a multi-use space as a library alongside new areas for education, creative industries and community events in a repaired and restored building.

Kent County Council put the building up for sale in the summer.

St Eanswythe’s head

A sculpture depicting St Eanswythe – the patron saint of Folkestone – is headless no more.

Vandals removed the statue’s head last year but she now stands proud again at the entrance to the town’s Radnor Park.