Property Details: • Type: Land • Tenure: FREEHOLD • Floor Area: N/A
Key Features:
Location: • Nearest Station: Folkestone West Station • Distance to Station: 0.6119824576475553 miles
Agent Information: • Address: Suite 1-2 Motis Business Centre, Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4QJ
Full Description: The property comprises an existing two-storey building together with substantial surrounding land, occupying a site of approximately 1,200 sq. m. The existing building provides approximately 250 sq. m. of internal accommodation and is positioned between Milky Whey and Laurel Court in an established residential area of Folkestone. The building was originally residential and historically comprised three separate houses. It was subsequently converted and interconnected internally to form a single telecommunications centre, understood to have taken place around the early 2000s. The property was most recently used in connection with telecommunications and fibre-optic infrastructure and is now vacant. The building is structurally in good condition but requires refurbishment and modernisation. Some internal copper pipework and electrical cabling had been removed before the current owners acquired the property. However, the principal services remain available, including electricity, water and drainage.<br /><br />Site & Development Potential:<br /><br />The site includes a substantial area alongside the existing building, together with green/open land and a tarmac area to the rear. This provides flexibility for parking, amenity space and potential additional development, subject to the necessary consents. The surrounding properties, including Laurel Court and Milky Way, are generally well maintained and provide an established residential setting.<br />Folkestone & Hythe District Council has issued a formal Class MA decision confirming that prior approval is not required for the change of use of the existing building from commercial use (Class E) to residential use (Class C3). The relevant planning reference is 25/2039/FH/PA.<br /><br />The current development concept seeks to retain and refurbish the existing building and make more efficient use of the wider site. The preliminary scheme currently being explored comprises six residential flats within the existing building, a single-storey side extension containing two additional flats, and two single-storey bungalows, together with approximately 12 parking spaces, <br />cycle storage and landscaped/amenity areas. The extension and bungalow elements remain subject to the necessary planning approvals.<br /><br />In addition to the residential development concept, the property also offers flexibility for continued or alternative commercial use. The existing building could potentially be refurbished for office, business or other suitable commercial occupation, while the extensive surrounding land provides scope for parking, servicing and other ancillary uses, subject to any necessary consents. Prospective purchasers may therefore wish to consider both residential and commercial strategies for the site.<br /><br />A previous planning application proposed a more intensive redevelopment involving six new two-storey houses. That application was refused, with the principal concerns relating to residential amenity, including overbearing impact and overlooking. The current concept takes a materially different approach by retaining the existing building and considering lower-rise, single-storey development to the rear.<br /><br />Limited Company Purchase:<br /><br />The £1,200,000 purchase price includes the company purchase of Blackberry Properties Limited which also includes ownership of a site in Mersthan with full planning permission for 5 EV charging bays and EV bike storage and charging facilities. Planning application 24/02277/F. For further information, contact Motis Estates.<br /><br />About Folkestone: <br /><br />Folkestone is a conveniently located coastal Town that has train links via HS1 in under 1 hour to London St Pancras, the Channel Tunnel service to France and the port of Dover are within 10 miles <br />to the East. Folkestone has a number of regeneration projects with the development of Folkestone Seafront with over 700 apartments and the town of Otterpool as a new Garden Town in the next <br />25 years. and <br /><br />It was announced on 18/01/2023, that Folkestone and Hythe District Council have been awarded £19.7 million for a major overhaul of Folkestone’s town centre to improve shopping areas, an upgraded bus station and a new public green space to encourage businesses and visitors into the area. <br /><br />The funding is for the three following projects: <br /><br />1. Station Arrival and Town Centre Connections: This element of the project aims to improve the inks from the railway station for pedestrians and cyclists to encourage use of active travel and <br />public transport and to improve connections for visitors and residents alike. <br /><br />2. Improved Gateway to the Town Centre and Bouverie Square: This component of the project will unlock transformational change around the town centre. The focus will be to reconfigure the main <br />bus station in the town centre and implement changes to the legacy gyratory road system to the north. The money will enable a sustainable, attractive and welcoming gateway to be created for Folkestone town centre with a green park replacing the bus station in Bouverie Square. The exciting and ambitious project will see Shellons Street become two-way with bus stops and bays replacing the bus station. Better signage and obvious walking links will connect visitors to a greener, more vibrant Sandgate Road and Guildhall Street shopping area. <br /><br />3. Folca, Sandgate Road and Town Centre Public Realm: This element of the project will refurbish the Folca building (the former Debenhams building) into a ‘town lab’ which will encourage and <br />bring new and experimental uses into the town centre. The phased refurbishment of this building will bring a currently redundant building back into use in the town centre and reactivate this part of the high street. It will also improve the public realm on Sandgate Road to encourage footfall in this area of the town centre. The funding will also enable the second phase of Folca to be progressed by establishing new uses for the site, with an intended focus on public services, retail, leisure and business uses for the rejuvenated building. <br /><br />There is a short video of the future of Folkestone here: <br /><br />Legal Costs: Each party to pay their own legal costs. <br /><br />Viewings Strictly by appointment through Motis Estates Commercial Agents in Folkestone - or . <br /><br />VACANT POSSESSION UPON COMPLETION SUBJECT TO CONTRACT (This firm operates a Complaints Handling Procedure, details of which are available upon request). <br /><br />IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM MOTIS ESTATES Descriptions of the property are subjective and are used in good faith as an opinion and NOT as a statement of fact. Please make further specific enquires to ensure that our descriptions are likely to match any expectations you may have of the property. We have not tested any services, systems or appliances at this property. We strongly recommend that all the information we provide be verified by you on inspection, and by your Surveyor and Conveyancer.<br /><br />Legal Costs: Each party to pay their own legal costs. <br /><br />Viewings Strictly by appointment through Motis Estates Commercial Agents in Folkestone - or . <br /><br />VACANT POSSESSION UPON COMPLETION SUBJECT TO CONTRACT (This firm operates a Complaints Handling Procedure, details of which are available upon request). <br /><br />IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM MOTIS ESTATES Descriptions of the property are subjective and are used in good faith as an opinion and NOT as a statement of fact. Please make further specific enquires to ensure that our descriptions are likely to match any expectations you may have of the property. We have not tested any services, systems or appliances at this property. We strongly recommend that all the information we provide be verified by you on inspection, and by your Surveyor and Conveyancer.