The Warren Campsite: The Last Rites?

From a report to the Folkestone Parks and Gardens Charity on 21st January, a really bleak assessment of the future of the former The Warren Campsite.

This site is right down by the Warren, and is entirely separate from the Little Switzerland site that continues to operate, and are indeed currently negotiating a new longer lease.

As the report on FPPG Charity activities over the last few months notes under 3.2b:

"Network Rail is currently working at the Warren installing additional rock armour in front of the concrete apron. However, these works will not assist with stabilisation of the vacant campsite.

"The 2024 landslide extended the impact of the historical land movement, which considerably reduced the campsite area (refer to plan below where yellow shaded area indicates approximate extension of landslip area north of the original movement).

"Since the former tenant (Camping and Caravanning Club) vacated the site in 2024, there has been significant criminal damage, which has included digging up of the electricity supply. There was a major water leak, which has now been isolated, and notably the pump station for the site’s waste is c.1metre from the previous landslide area. Furthermore, the access road to the campsite remains in poor condition.

“On the basis that there is limited means to stabilise the site, and provide utilities, the future of the site is not suitable for commercial use therefore it is recommended that the site is left to return to nature.”

During the meeting, Trustees asked what options there were for other uses of the site, but they are really limited.

The main block of the campsite feels like it would be really helpful as a public toilet and kiosk to serve the beach. However with the mains water supply broken, the electricity cabling vandalised and the toilet sewage being to a cess pit now 4m from a landslip, it would take a huge capital investment to make that viable, which the charity would never recoup.

Similarly the potential for using the area as parking for the beach will be considered. However offering parking on an area closed for landslips is clearly a potential risk, especially down an access road which is increasingly hard to drive safely.

That feels like a real loss. However for an area that was never hugely valuable in terms of rent, spending a ton of money on an ever shrinking site to ensure it has services (including a road you can get a van down) feels like a bad use of charity (or indeed taxpayer) money. Letting it to return to nature more logical, unless anyone has any really great ideas here…