Part of a huge former Debenhams store is set to be sold off under new plans for the “challenging” site.
Council bosses have confirmed the Edwardian section facing Bouverie Place in Folkestone – known as Folca One – will be put on the open market, after a long-planned medical centre for the building was ruled no longer viable.
Cabinet members at Folkestone and Hythe District Council approved the strategy this week, saying it was the “most prudent option” following a detailed feasibility study.
Officers considered a number of alternatives for Folca One, including retail, residential and office use, as well as demolition or mothballing – but all were deemed too risky or unaffordable.
Council leader Cllr Jim Martin (Green) said: “We have explored every single option available. We have knocked on every door.
“It is with something of a heavy heart that I support this – we had hoped for so much more.”
The site was bought by FHDC in 2020 for £2,050,000, shortly after Debenhams closed down.
It was used as a Covid-19 vaccination hub during the pandemic but has largely remained empty since.
The council now intends to focus on regenerating Folca Two – the larger Art Deco section facing Sandgate Road – with plans for a flexible mixed-use scheme.
This could include commercial and public sector tenants and potentially a medical facility, depending on discussions with the NHS Integrated Care Board.
A full business case and preferred occupation strategy for Folca Two will be presented in the autumn, with construction expected to begin in early 2026.
Cllr Tim Prater said at the meeting: “The number of challenges on this building… is ridiculous.
“Moving from Covid, through war, through energy costs, through the ICB hokey-cokey.
“We’re going to start fixing the building and healing the building.”
Folca Two is due to benefit from a £1.44 million grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, alongside £2.2 million from the Folkestone – A Brighter Future regeneration fund.
In total, £20 million has been earmarked for investment in the town centre through the government-backed initiative.
Weatherproofing work to separate Folca Two from its neighbouring section is already planned, with the council expected to tender a contract from August.
The overall cost of transforming Folca Two is estimated at £13.2 million, with the redevelopment aiming to create more than 100 jobs.
Cllr Connor McConville (Ind), cabinet member for assets, said funds raised from selling Folca One would be reinvested into the wider Folca scheme.
“Unfortunately, it has been made clear that the council does not have the capacity to fund the works required to get the building back into use,” he said in May.
“At one point there was scope for the council to move office space into the building; however, with local government reorganisation, this is now not an option.
“The council would only want to sell the building to someone whom it could work in collaboration with in terms of the wider Folca project, and any funds gained from the sale would be injected into the budget for Folca Two.”
The Folca name was inspired by Folca’s Stone – a historic meeting point said to be the origin of the town’s name, Folkestone.
The site also previously housed Bobby’s department store before Debenhams took it over.
The latest decision will go before FHDC’s Green-Lib Dem-Independent coalition cabinet for formal sign-off later this year.
