Let it Be Remembered: Princes Parade Was Saved by Everyone—Through Resistance, Circumstance and Collective Action

Let it be remembered: Princes Parade was saved not by any one person, but by everyone who cared enough to fight for it.

The long campaign to stop the development of Princes Parade—an open stretch of cherished coastal land in Hythe—was never the work of a single figure or group. It succeeded because of an extraordinary confluence of persistent community resistance, shifting political winds, unforeseen global crises, legal intervention, and the tireless efforts of hundreds of ordinary people. Each element played its part: the grassroots campaign, the Judicial Review, the public inquiry into road “stopping up”, the shockwaves of Covid-19, and the war in Ukraine which drove up construction costs due to supply chain issues; and undermined financial viability.

Let it be clear from the start: Princes Parade was saved not by ego, but by effort—collective, sustained, and unwavering.

And as we head into the Kent County Council elections, we must also be clear about this: Princes Parade has nothing to do with KCC. It was a district planning matter. Using it to score points in a county-level contest is not just irrelevant—it detracts from the serious issues that Kent residents now face: funding crises in social care, broken infrastructure, local government reform, and dwindling public services.

What follows is a precise of some of the events during the long campaign.

From Threat to Movement: A Campaign Forged in Community

The Save Princes Parade campaign was launched in 2011, when Folkestone & Hythe District Council proposed a development scheme for the site. The plan included a leisure centre, 150 homes, shops, and a rerouted road. The campaign quickly attracted historians, ecologists, architects, lawyers and everyday residents—all alarmed at the impact on heritage, nature, and public access.

At its heart were concerns over:

• The loss of green space

• Risk to archaeological remains and the historic Royal Military Canal

• Contamination risks

• Questionable costs and shaky financial justifications

• And more, much more

The campaign was nothing short of meticulous. Through Freedom of Information requests, Environmental Information Requests, press scrutiny, planning guidance, and public toolkits, it mobilised the community in numbers rarely seen. Its website became a vital information hub. But even the best-organised opposition couldn’t halt the momentum alone.

Legal Action and a Pandemic Shift the Landscape

In 2018, the district council granted itself planning permission, ignoring overwhelming public opposition. The Save Princes Parade group responded with a Judicial Review. While the court ultimately found in the council’s favour, the case forced transparency and revealed flaws in environmental and heritage assessments. It also kept the issue in the public eye.

Then came a second major challenge in 2020: the proposed “stopping up” of the historic road through Princes Parade. This move—essential for the development to proceed—triggered a Department for Transport public inquiry. Hundreds of objections poured in. Once again, the community showed up in force.

But external events also played a role. Covid-19 dramatically shifted the economic and political context. Construction prices rose, council budgets came under pressure, and public priorities changed. As the UK entered recovery, the war in Ukraine hit global supply chains, driving material costs even higher and undermining the viability of large-scale developments like Princes Parade.

All of this mattered. But none of it would have been decisive without people. Campaigners did not let up. They organised, scrutinised, stood for election, and voted. Together, they tipped the balance.

Let it be remembered: Princes Parade was saved not by any one person, but by everyone who cared enough to fight for it.

From Protest to Political Change

In the lead-up to the 2019 local elections, the campaign moved from protest to political action. It backed candidates who pledged to stop the scheme. Voters responded. The new administration announced that development plans would be withdrawn.

Victory, however, wasn’t met with complacency. The campaign group issued a cautious statement, warning that only permanent legal protection would guarantee the future of the site. Proposals to designate the land as a Local Green Space or place it in community ownership are now being explored.

What This Election Is About

Let’s be absolutely clear: Princes Parade is not a KCC issue. It was decided at district level. And it is now paused, thanks to everything listed above—the campaign, the legal challenges, Covid, the war, the financial pressures—and each and every person who stood up for the land.

Attempting to resurrect it as a political football in a county council election does a disservice to us all and the issues we face now. Kent County Council is grappling with profound challenges: adult social care is underfunded, children’s services are overstretched, local roads are crumbling, and libraries and buses are being cut.

There are looming debates over devolution and the possible creation of unitary authorities. There are real concerns about democratic accountability, with opaque decision-making and diminishing public trust. These are the questions voters should demand answers to—not replays of a campaign they won, together, in May 2023, when the new Leader of the Council declared Princes Parade was “saved“.

Legacy and Lessons

Princes Parade was never saved by one individual. Yes, there were figureheads. Yes, legal minds and professionals gave up countless hours. But so did parents, pensioners, dog walkers, artists, teachers, kayakers, and conservationists.

It took law. It took politics. It took a pandemic and a war. It took persistence and belief. And above all, it took people. Ordinary, extraordinary people.

Let it be remembered: Princes Parade was saved not by any one person, but by everyone who cared enough to fight for it. Let that truth guide us—through this election, and the ones to come.

The Shepway Vox Team

Dissent is Not a Crime