Case Study: Folkestone Creative Quarter

Despite the credit crunch and worldwide recession of 2008, long- neglected Folkestone is starting slowly to reclaim its Edwardian-era reputation as ‘the jewel of the Kent coast’ with a substantial – and very creative – regeneration project.

BEST PRACTICE

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Despite the credit crunch and worldwide recession of 2008, long-neglected Folkestone is starting slowly to reclaim its Edwardian-era reputation as ‘the jewel of the Kent coast’ with a substantial – and very creative – regeneration project.

After 15 years of hard slog, Folkestone’s Creative Quarter, the brainchild of local businessman (and former Saga Group owner) Sir Roger de Haan, is finally becoming self-sustaining and an outstanding example of how – with foresight, investment and imagination - Britain’s fading coastal towns can be restored to prosperity.

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Setting the scene...

Not a lot of people know this, but Folkestone has chalked up After the last war, Folkestone went into further decline, with quite a few claims to fame over the years. many of its finest old buildings demolished by the 1960s. More recently, the loss of Duty Free on ferries and the advent King John chose the town as his base when preparing the of the Channel Tunnel hammered more nails into the coffin, Magna Carta in 1215, and, during its long history, Folkestone striking at the heart of the port’s once-thriving ferry has also played host to Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria business. and Winston Churchill. But since 2002, things have started looking up again, thanks The town has also been a centre of innovation. The world’s to visionary local millionaire Sir Roger de Haan who, having first pillar box was erected there in 1858 and was joined, in sold his family-owned Saga Group for £1.35 billion in 2004, 1903, by the first-ever telephone kiosk. And the ground- is now determined to revive Folkestone’s fortunes by using breaking doesn’t end there. funds from his charitable foundation to develop a new ‘Creative Quarter’ at the heart of the Old Town district. In 1911, the world’s first beauty queen – one Nettie Bainbridge – was crowned in Folkestone in an event which To date, more than £60 million has been invested in might have been televised, had it occurred just a few years developing and refurbishing the Creative Quarter, which is later. For TV pioneer John Logie Baird made the world’s first based around the town’s old High Street and largely television transmissions from Folkestone in the 1920s. comprises businesses – like art galleries, craft shops, architects’ offices, marketing agencies and design studios – Folkestone’s Grand Hotel, which opened in 1899, flourished owned and staffed by creatives. in the resort’s fashionable Edwardian heyday, when it was a favourite haunt of Edward VII. Later, it was equally popular With the aim of transforming Folkestone into a key centre with Agatha Christie - who wrote `Murder on the Orient for the arts, De Haan’s Creative Foundation has also Express’ there in 1934 - and violinist Yehudi Menuhin. launched a triennial art show and a book festival; opened and equipped a new performance venue, and installed a But two world wars reversed Folkestone’s fortunes. High public art collection featuring works by Tracey Emin, Mark taxes after World War 1 sent local fortunes plummeting, Wallinger and Cornelia Parker. while the port’s proximity to Europe put it in line for such a battering during World War 2 that most of its 50,000 inhabitants were evacuated, leaving a population of only 10,000 for most of the war years.

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4 visit coastaltourismacademy.co.uk Case StudyStudy FolkestoneRockfish Creative Restaurants Quarter The Project

The project began in 2002, with the purchase and well-heeled Londoners, many of whom are now snapping up refurbishment of a derelict building called The Wedge, the properties in anticipation of good times to come. first of many to be transformed by Folkestone’s Creative Foundation, which is led by de Haan as chairman of its board But the scheme has attracted some controversy, not least of trustees. because only eight per cent of the new development’s housing stock will be classed as affordable, leading to According to Creative Quarter manager Adrian Lockwood, criticism that Folkestone’s ‘gentrification’ will cut out local the Creative Foundation currently owns 90 properties, split people, ignore the town’s social problems and split its into 240 business and residential units. “We have 60 shops, population into incoming ‘haves’ and local ‘have nots’. 60 flats, and the rest of the units are offices or artists’ studios,” he says. Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, Greenwich University- based regeneration expert James Kennell has said that, “With the exception of premises providing food, drink or while he welcomes de Haan’s plan as a regenerator of jobs, educational facilities, the majority are rented out to creatives, he fears it “is not a development for local people, (as) all the and a small percentage are offered at subsidised rents to primary benefits are for people moving in or for visitors.” encourage arts graduates setting up fledgling businesses, while the majority are rented out at commercial rates.” And Leeds university sociology researcher Jonathan Ward described the Creative Foundation’s works as “a bit of The main driver for the enterprise was the construction of cultural branding used to conceal what is basically a the Channel Tunnel, which had a disastrous impact on local speculative property development aimed at elite jobs and prosperity. “The ferries and boat trains went, and we consumers.” lost about a million visitors who, instead of coming to Folkestone, were going straight through the Tunnel,” Adrian There is no doubt that the Creative Quarter has kick-started says. prosperity in the town, and made it more attractive to visitors, who can now stroll down its smart, colourfully- “It caused the loss of many jobs and devastated Folkestone painted streets, browse art galleries, bijoux craft shops and – which was already struggling - virtually overnight. So the artisan delicatessens, enjoy art and cultural events, and enjoy aim of the Creative Foundation has been to regenerate the speciality beers, trendy restaurants and cafés. oldest part of Folkestone Town and give visitors a reason to come back, restoring prosperity which will then expand from The challenge going forward, though, will be to ensure that there to the surrounding area.” the town’s new-found prosperity benefits all its inhabitants, not just a privileged few. Longer-term, de Haan’s plan is to develop not just Folkestone’s OId Town, but its entire waterfront. Sir Roger de Haan has made some efforts towards this, funding local school and community projects. And Shepway Folkestone’s pier has also been renovated and is now District Council, along with Kent County Council, supports de attracting upmarket pubs and restaurants – and that’s just Haan’s scheme as an aid to its core objective of providing the first phase of a £337m redevelopment of the entire “more homes and better jobs in an attractive district”. harbour area, which will see more than 1,000 homes and business units built or renovated over the next 20 years, and is expected to take Folkestone’s seafront firmly upmarket.

With shops and restaurants, green spaces and sports areas planned, the project is already attracting the attention of

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The Approach

The Creative Foundation is now a substantial local employer “We interview potential business owners to assess the in its own right, having created more than 500 jobs to date. strength of their business plans, and also to consider “We have writers, performers and artists building a thriving whether their business will fit in and usefully fill a gap,” community here now,” says Adrian Lockwood. Adrian says.

“Three years ago, a group called Performance Space moved “We don’t have a bookshop as yet, though the Steep Street here to make performance art. They started a trend, so that Café also offers books, and we’ve recently gained a shop there are now about 10 performance art groups in action selling craft beers and locally produced wines.” around the country, but Performance Space are widely acclaimed as one of the best, and their work – along with Established businesses are also starting to grow, and employ that of other artists and performers – is giving Folkestone a more staff. “It’s a requirement from us that businesses have unique identity.” to be open from Wednesday to Saturday at least, but more are now opening seven days a week as they gain the staff to And that’s what it needs, if the Creative Foundation is to do so,” Adrian adds. achieve its aim of encouraging more people to move to and live in the town. He cites the (aptly named) Progress Agency, a concern specialising in online marketing and graphic design, as a “Over the past five years, we’ve been working very hard to Creative Quarter success story. “It started five years ago build a reputation for Folkestone as a source of high-quality with two people in one room, and now employs 14 people food, goods and events,” Adrian says. and occupies a much bigger space,” he says, adding that other businesses have developed to a stage where they have “We’ve striven to attract a good mix of boutique-style shops outgrown Creative Quarter premises and so moved to other and speciality eateries, like designer cake shops, cheese parts of Folkestone. shops and delis featuring local produce.” “We’ve now become something of an agency for creatives, as if there’s not space for them within the quarter, we will try Beginning a growth curve… to find them a space outside.”

Now some synergy is building between the various businesses in the Creative Quarter; for example, a local web designer builds websites for up-and-coming local businesses. Another encouraging sign that business is building is that the Foundation now has a waiting list of people keen to open small to medium enterprises on a sole trader basis.

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Wooing visitors with special events

The local council is supporting the venture by keeping “We now get funding from the Arts Council, as we have business rates reasonable for start-ups and small concerns. National Portfolio Organisation status, and business rents They’ve also kept car park costs moderate, which is vital for have also become more realistic, so we are not as dependent attracting visitors to spend some time in the town. on funding from Roger de Haan’s foundation as we were,” he says. In fact, car parking is free in the weekends leading up to Folkestone’s Christmas Festival, which coincides with the “The Triennial in particular has become a major event, town’s Book Festival, so that a literary celebrity (such as attracting press from 75 countries and bringing hundreds of Louis de Bernières in 2016 and Tracy Chevalier in 2017) can visitors, who walk around Folkestone clutching maps and turn on the Christmas lights and open the book fair at the guides to the art installations.” same time. This and other events also bring a surge in bookings for Folkestone’s Triennial art event – held, as its name suggests, local hotels, which are improving facilities now that every three years – has also proved a crowd pleaser and a regeneration, combined with a high speed rail link (which major draw for visitors, with contributions from well-known opened in 2009 and connects Folkestone with London in 52 artists like Anthony Gormley. minutes) is replacing the traditional £25-a-night OAP coach party trade with ever-increasing numbers of ‘Down from The town gets to keep 10 of the works on display at every London’ weekenders. Triennial, and so has amassed quite a collection since the first event in 2008. A dedicated Triennial visitor centre has “Folkestone has the nearest sandy beach to London,” Adrian now been installed in The Quarterhouse, a building funded says, “and that’s attractive not only to weekenders but also to by the de Haan foundation, designed by architect Alison visitors from Holland, Belgium, France, and Germany, where Brookes and constructed in a former builder’s yard. we engage in cultural exchange programmes to build awareness of our arts scene.” This now acts as the hub of the Creative Quarter and is part headquarters for the Creative Foundation, part performance At the end of the day, he adds, the message is simple; “Come space and part showcase for art and creative endeavour. to Folkestone – it’s great.”

“We offer residencies for theatre groups creating work we can premier here. We want a ‘made in Folkestone’ element to everything we do,” Adrian Lockwood says, adding that, 15 years after its inception, Folkestone’s Creative Quarter project is finally becoming self-sustaining.

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Best practice tips for creating a successful regeneration project

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1. Take your time, and consolidate 4. Make sure your backing is sustainable. progress as you go. In 2008 we built We were fortunate in having Roger but or renovated 15 buildings, including the there are other models – like the Quarter House, and we also launched Creative Quarter in Nottingham – our Triennial art event that year. So it which have been commercially funded was a stressful time – and then we all by retailers keen to get people had the credit crunch and economic shopping, or - as with Lincoln and meltdown to contend with, so Hastings – regenerated through properties stood empty for quite some council initiatives, so they can get time. The lesson learned was to spread other incentives, like reduced business development over several years, to rates. make risks lower and the whole process less stressful. 5. Be as inspirational as you can in presenting your vision to people, as 2. Be patient, look long term and don’t you’ll need to encourage them to take expect instant results. It took a long term view. You’ll need a Folkestone a century to get into a state powerful voice – be it an individual like of decline; we weren’t going to fix it in Roger, or a visionary council - to two years. champion the project through thick and thin. 3. If you’re trying to revive a region, start small; even creating one unusual or 6. Point out the long-term advantages of exciting shop or gallery is enough to regenerating and attracting tourists to start with. We’re currently working with local people who may be angry or a team launching a revitalisation envious about ‘arty types’ paying lower project for Luton, who had 200 empty business rates or apparently gaining buildings to work with. Our advice was advantages not available to other to pick the most interesting three, and types of business. You need to make it then do them up one at a time. We clear that successful regeneration were very lucky in Folkestone to have benefits everybody in the long run. Roger de Haan’s backing, cash and business expertise as without that, it would have taken us about 25 years to get where we are. And it’s been a long, slow haul for the Creative Quarter to start earning enough to become self- sustaining.

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7. Conversely, do ensure that artists we make it clear that foreign visitors taking space in your Creative Quarter staying in Folkestone can get easy develop a sense of commercial reality. access to London – and vice versa. Many would be happy simply to paint or create all day, but we build into the 10. Investing in a good website and social lease certain responsibilities – like a media presence is very important, but minimum number of hours during so is getting out on the road to which shops and galleries need to be promote your region. For example, last open and staffed, and we encourage year we took over of the empty shops weekend opening at busy times, like at the Bluewater shopping centre and the Triennial. used it to promote art and crafts from Folkestone, backing this up with a 8. Brush up on your tact, to deal with Facebook campaign. different people and their needs. 11. Lock on to societal trends, like the 9. Think broadly in terms of markets; current interest in artisan food and what events can you latch on to and locally-sourced produce – and make attract visitors from? Our marketing them a selling point people spend a lot of time talking and promoting to the travel industry so 12. Keep your destination in the public eye that – for example - Folkestone will be with special events, like the Folkestone the first-day call on World War 1 tours. Book Festival and Triennial Arts It’s important to recognise what the Festival area you’re in has to offer, and join in promoting it to the max. For example,

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Folkestone Creative Foundation (Registered Charity No. 1105174)

The Quarterhouse, Mill Bay, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 1BN

Telephone: 01303 760 740 Email: [email protected] Website: www.creativefoundation.org.uk

Connect with the NCTA linkedin.com/company/national-coastal-tourism-academy facebook.com/nationalcoastaltourismacademy twitter.com/nctacademy

Publication date: March 2018 Version: 1.0