Royal Victoria Hospital sells for £1.25 million

EXCLUSIVE

Back in March 2018, we brought you the post: Do you believe in coincidence?

This speculated that a company by the name of RVH Folkestone Limited owned and controlled by former Sandgate Parish Cllr Leo Livingston Griggs, might well purchase the old and dilapated part of the Royal Victoria Hospital which is in the Places and Policies Local Plan under policy UA3. We can confirm that Leo via his company RVH Folkestone Ltd has purchased the site from KCC for £1.25 million. Development will be permitted for 16 new homes through residential conversion of the original Victorian building. The rear part of the site should be cleared to provide approximately 26 new build dwellings. 

 

Kent County Council purchased the site for £400,000 plus £73,500 in fees on the 14 April 2017. In a little over a eighteen months KCC tripled the price when they sold the land onto RVH Folkestone Ltd for £1,250,000 million, on the 1st Nov 2018. A bit of good business for KCC and the taxpayer.

It was never a coincidence to the Shepwayvox Team that former Sandgate Cllr Leo Griggs was going to purchase it.

Dan Gooding, Alliance Construction Manager (left) , Leo Griggs, Alliance Director (centre)  and Cllr Alan Ewart-James, Cabinet (right)

It was Leo’s company Alliance Building Company Contracts Ltd who built the six new flats at Roman Way, where Leo, according to Folkestone & Hythe District Council own data received the sum of £795,000 pounds twice for building the six flats. Thankfully that anomaly was rectified after it was pointed out to F&HDC.

We also understand from well placed council sources, the Council’s company Oportunitas Ltd is intent on buying up to 40 properties on the RVH site, “off plan” for approx £5.5m to £6.5 million.  This would allow them to further expand their loss making commercial arm in the vain hope it will turn a profit one day.

None of this of course will be put in writing at this stage, so as to prevent any possible conflict of interests. A handshake though will have sealed the deal and the planning system will have been gamed once again.

We wish Leo the best of luck in building the flats and houses for the council’s company Oportunitas Ltd.  

Finally, given that Leo is member of the local Conservative association, we strongly suspect his chums on planning will nod it through, as the site is in the Local Plan. Any objections from local residents or Folkestone Town Council will be swept aside, even if they are valid.

The Shepwayvox Team

Journalism for the People NOT the Powerful