Folkestone Seafront

Folkestone's location on the south Kent coast places the town in an enviable position, with good transport links to Europe and to London. The town's success in the 19th century can be attributed to the arrival of the railway, and improvements to railway infrastructure in the 21st century now offer the potential to help the renaissance of the town. High Speed One now presents an opportunity to help reverse Folkestone's decline, with journey times to and from London reduced to less than an hour.

In recent decades, a substantial reduction in tourism and the demise of other traditional industries, coupled with the loss of the ferry link to France, have all contributed to Folkestone's decline. Making Folkestone a better place in which to work and live can help to bring new prosperity to the town, and even generate new employment opportunities.

Folkestone's geographical context sees the town occupy a beautiful stretch of Channel coast, set between the North Downs to the east and Romney Marsh to the south west. The area has inspired countless artists and writers, and increasingly is now home to a new creative community attracted to the Creative Quarter in Folkestone's traditional Old Town.

Folkestone's architecture includes splendid examples of traditional Victorian and Edwardian grandeur, and more recently the town has seen important architectural commissions from the practices of Lord Foster and Sir Michael Hopkins. This all serves to create an eclectic mix of styles, where urban development of the highest quality sits well alongside the natural landscape of the Kent coast.

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