November 2017 www.gofolkestone.org.uk Notice of Go Folkestone 16th Annual General Meeting Wednesday 8th November 2017 at Wards Hotel, Earls Avenue, Folkestone 7:00 pm Business including elections and 2017 reports to be held first followed yb open meeting at 7.45pm. But non-members are asked to come for 7.00pm or at least before 7.45pm. There will be opportunities to join or pay subscriptions if you are a member. (7.45) SPECIAL OPEN EVENT: A new talk ‘The origins of Folkestone’ by Dr Andrew Richardson of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Dr Richardson has been involved in a recent research project on the genesis of the town from 800AD to modern times, which has revised several long-held beliefs. Unveiling the 2018 Aspects of Folkestone Calendar, hot off the press. Thanks to photographers. Invitation to buy for £5.50 (members) on the day. General Conversation (Drinks and Coffee for sale) Go Folkestone is a local community group. It publishes a periodical magazine with a print run, an email copy and Facebook entries. This is distributed around different parts of Folkestone each time. Membership enables you to receive it by post or email in advance and to attend the monthly meetings at Wards Hotel at 7.15pm on the second Wednesday of each month. Cover Picture : Artist’s impression of Seafront ‘square’ in Folkestone Harbour Project Contents Editorial 3 Aspects of Folkestone Calendar for Sale 4 The Seafront 6 Openings and Closings 7 Volunteers Wanted : Friends of the Folkestone Museum 8 New Leas Lift Company 9 Folkestone Book Festival ; The New Boy Richard Wallace 10 The Russia House Folkestone is seeing a lot of changes coming up with 11 More Downs than Ups the Seafront and the Garden Centre seemingly pushing ahead. You can see more on the Seafront in this issue or 12 Friends of the Leas Pavilion by getting into the planning application. Try ‘Shep- way Planning Applications, Search, and Y17/1099/SH. 13 Townscape heritage initiative Then look at the well- illustrated ‘Planning Statement. There isn’t a clear development partner yet but some of 14 Christmas Walks the details are being fleshed out with apartment block heights of 18m near to historic Marine Crescent and 30m 16 Your last chance to see the in many other places. The last Go Folkestone meeting Triennial certainly supported the development of derelict car parks and obsolete freight yards, provided The Leas doesn’t 17 Life’s A Beach: Local Film for Sale look across to peoples’ windows or a little downward to nearby air conditioning and lift plant on flat roofs. 18 Some Christmas Events There are also features on the Leas Lift, hopefully back 19 Remembrance: Unknown Shrine but treated with kid gloves. The town welcomes the spin off from The Triennial: what will stay from the many 21 One church in danger, one saved artworks around? Meanwhile the Book Festival helps make the run up to Christmas more entertaining. 23 Fred Cuming Exhibition at the Town Hall Please look at and buy our new 2018 Aspects of Folke- stone Calendar. 24 News from the Planning Front FOLKESTONE; ONE HOUR FROM LONDON, ONE 25 Visiting Sir Jeffery at The Wells HOUR FROM FRANCE, 5 MINUTES FROM THE BEACH. 26 Folkestone Invicta 27 Aunt Jess’s Mince Pies Editorial Committee : David Noble, Richard Wallace and Pat Cocks. Magazine Layout : Mike Tedder. 1 Call us today for more info on 01303 245588 Official Government fuel consumption figures (Range): Urban cycle, Extra urban, Combined (litres per 100km/mpg) & CO2 emissions (g/km); Highest: Citroën C3 Picasso PureTech 110 manual 6.4/44.1, 4.2/67.3, 5.0/56.5, 115. Lowest: Citroën C4 Cactus BlueHDi 100 S&S ETG6 3.9/72.4, 3.2/88.3, 3.4/83.1, 89. MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions. *Car savings shown are for eligible Citroën Scrappage Scheme customers only, are inclusive of VAT & reflect customer savings against the manufacturer’s recommended OTR price. On The Road prices include VAT where applicable, delivery, vehicle first registration fee, number plates and 12 months’ road fund licence. These savings are only available to eligible customers who trade in a qualifying vehicle first registered in the UK before 31 December 2010. The V5C of the part exchange address needs to match the new vehicle invoice & must have been in the current owners’ possession for a minimum of 90 days. The Citroën Scrappage Scheme incentive cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Other offers for eligible customers are available. Offer applicable to vehicles ordered & registered 08/09-31/12/2017. All vehicles part exchanged with the Citroën Scrappage Scheme will be scrapped by CarTakeBack™. WILMOTHS FOLKESTONE 01303 245588 WILMOTHS ASHFORD 01233 640100 WILMOTHS MAIDSTONE 01622 750442 WILMOTHS CRAYFORD 01322 524555 2 Aspects of Folkestone 2018 CALENDAR £6.00 inc VAT Further to the success of our 2017 calendar we have now produced one for 2018. Outlets include County Hardware , Marrin Books & Country Fare . This year’s is double the size with larger photographs and diary boxes for just £1.00 more and has the same postage rates. The intention is to create a good impression of Folkestone and all proceeds will be used in local causes. Pre-orders please to: [email protected] or tel. 01303 254263 3 News from Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Peter Bettley Following the creation of the Seafront Boardwalk, the new walkway across the viaduct and the earlier renovation of the Harbour Arm, the route through the renovated former station will complete the new network of footpaths and walkways in and around Folkestone Harbour and Seafront. Work to repair and reconstruct the previously dilapidated station platforms and canopies began earlier this year and is now nearing completion. It is likely to open to the public in the first part of 2018, providing yet more spaces for people to discover and enjoy, and building on the acclaimed success of the Harbour Arm, increasingly acclaimed as one of the south east’s major attractions. The surviving section of the 1859 Customs House (most was destroyed by enemy action in the Second World War) has been painstakingly repaired and restored. Great attention has been paid to detail of the building by contractors Jenners, including installation of magnificent new doors, extensive repairs to roof and stonework and, perhaps the most striking feature of the building, the face of Poseidon. In Greek mythology Poseidon was the god of the sea and protector of seafarers. During the Folkestone Triennial, the Customs House has been home to the “Urban Room”, an artwork by Diane Dever and the Decorators, bringing together material that represents Folkestone’s past and providing an opportunity for people to consider and debate this in the context of the present and anticipating the future. Going forward it is proposed to use this space to present a wide range of aspects of the history of maritime Folkestone, including the evolution of the harbour, its growth as a port and other activities that have taken place in and around the site. Go Folkestone members will recall that Outline Planning consent was granted in January 2015 for up to one thousand residential units on the seafront site, including beach houses, apartments and town houses, with a range of commercial spaces designed to serve the new community and to make a significant contribution towards Folkestone’s economy, whilst making major improvements to the public domain in a way that has largely already been achieved. Detailed design work that builds on and proposes how these plans will be implemented is under way, and will focus on aspects including the design and style of buildings and the residential accommodation. One outcome of this further design work is a recent application to Shepway District Council seeking to vary some of the conditions in the 2015 consent. It does not represent a redesign of the development described in this consented planning permission, but, for example, proposes removing conditions relating to the provision of sea and beach sport facilities from the consented plans. This is based on practical experience: sea sports trials were conducted in the proposed location over a number of summer seasons but proved unsatisfactory. In the meantime, alternative provision for sea sports was established operating from The Stade, with considerable success. Under this proposal the sum allocated for sea and beach sport facilities in the original consent would be set aside for similar public benefit contributions. Similarly, proposals have been included to vary the shapes and distribution of various accommodation “blocks”, creating curved rather than straight lines for example, whilst remaining well within the originally consented ceiling of 1000 residential units. 4 Work continues on transforming the former Folkestone Harbour railway station. ���������� ��������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� � ������������������������������������������������������ ������!��" ���� ������������#������������������������������������ $�%�&���������������������� �����' �������������"�� (��" &)�����������������������������' ����&� ������������' ������ � *������$ ���������+������#�,�-������-��������� �.�/ ��������-�����)�����������)�����0��1���23 1��4���5�5��.55�6 �����4���&�� ���������7�������0��0 � 8������ ��(�"�-������4���&�� ���������0��0 � 5 Openings and Closings Richard Wallace Following Lidl in Hawkinge, reopened on September 14th, Aldi in Hythe are of course also up-sizing to a new store they are building at the Kengate estate in West Hythe. Perhaps a pound store will move into the existing Aldi? The final soulless supermarket bulletin concerns B&M Stores, similar to Home Bargains opening in the currently dog- eared Homebase unit on 23rd November. Pubwise I saw Gillie formerly with Stuart for many years at the The Guildhall filling in at The British Lion out of the goodness of her heart. They are happily retired in the centre of Folkestone but she runs whatever she touches with her normal assurance.