Princes Parade: A £21m offer and no guarantee it won’t be in next local plan.

“Is the Leader aware that, to my understanding, there is currently an offer on the table for Princes Parade amounting to £21 million?” asked Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee (Con) (left) to Cllr Jim Martin (Green), Leader of Folkestone & Hythe District Council (right), during last night’s full council meeting.

The offer Cllr Hollingsbee referenced could be one of two possibilities:

a) the offer made by David Pownceby, or
b) a new offer from a different developer.

However, Cllr Jim Martin stated that he was “unaware” of any such offer.

This follows our earlier report that Cllr Hollingsbee intended to ask whether Princes Parade would be included in the next local plan. In response to that question, Cllr Martin explained:

“At this stage, we cannot confirm which sites will or will not be included in the local plan. Prospective sites must undergo a thorough assessment to ensure they are deliverable, likely to progress within the local plan period, and able to withstand scrutiny by planning inspectors during a public examination.

Regarding the Princes Parade site specifically, there have been numerous schemes and proposals over the years to develop the area. However, due to significant engineering constraints, all of these proposals have ultimately proven unviable.”

Despite these challenges, Cllr Martin did not rule out the possibility of Princes Parade being included in the next local plan. The development of the local plan is expected to be a three-year process.

As previously reported, an initial public consultation on the future of the site closed on 16th February. The Council received 1,472 individual responses from the public, outlining their preferences for the site’s use. Officers are currently reviewing these comments, and the results of the consultation will be reported back to Councillors in due course.

Cllr Jim Martin did not give an unequivocal “no,no,no”; to Princes Parade being included in the next local plan. For his sake, and the Shepway Green Party’s sake, let’s hope the land is not in the next local plan, as this would feel like a betrayal to many who fought to Save Princes Parade.

The Shepway Vox Team

Not owned by Hedgefunds or Barons