Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20

Description

46 Sandgate Road is located within the prime area of Folkestone's main pedestrian shopping parade adjacent Folca (former Debenhams) attracting a large amount of footfall.
Folkestone's shopping centre, Bouverie Place is within 100m with occupiers such as Primark, Asda, New Look, JD Sports and Sports Direct. There are other national stores in the vicinity such as the Works, WH Smiths, Superdrug, and Costa as well as a number of restaurants and cafes. 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 within 10 miles 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 25 years. and property is also 50 yards from the former Debenhams site which has been acquired by Folkestone & Hythe District Council for redevelopment. 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.

The funding is for the three following projects:

1. Station Arrival and Town Centre Connections: This element of the project aims to improve the links from the railway station for pedestrians and cyclists to encourage use of active travel and public transport and to improve connections for visitors and residents alike.

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 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.

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 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.

The subject property is a mixed use commercial building totalling 9544 sq ft with planning permission for 8 flats.

Planning Application: 23/0727/FH

Proposal: Change of use and conversion of the upper floors from retail (class E) to create four self-contained one bed flats and four two bed flats (class C3) including the erection of an extension from first to fourth floor and other external alterations. Non-residential spaces will include class E office and retail spaces.

The ground floor is currently occupied on a 5 year lease until 31st January 2030 with a current rent of £24,000 per annum.

The proposal is to convert the upper floors of the rear section of the building into residential accommodation, whilst leaving the commercial areas relatively unaffected.

The proposal also involves creating a new commercial office space at first floor where the current retail space is being used as storage. The proposal involves using the currently vacant basement as retail storage space. It is noted that the proposed scheme involves minor alterations to the existing building in terms of mass, bulk, boundary treatments and appearance.

The proposed apartments are designed to maximise the floor plates and use the changes of level efficiently. The proposal achieves more apartments than the previous consented schemes. To accommodate this, the small external toilet block facing onto Albion Mews Road at first floor has been extended vertically to all floors, leaving a cut-out to continue to bring in natural light. This extension featured in both previously consented schemes.

In addition, the rear of the residential block has been extended towards Sandgate Road. In order to accommodate this extension, the upper level of retail accommodation has been reduced. These changes will not have any significant detrimental effect on the appearance nor affect light or privacy for the adjacent buildings.

The arrangement of the existing façade lends itself to providing fenestration required for residential use class. The existing staircase has been removed and a new staircase inserted that extends from ground to the top floor. The second-floor roof over the first-floor retail space provides an opportunity for the rooftop terraces and views out form the new residential accommodation. The proposal is to remove a section of the building at first floor which is currently used for storage to allow light into the new first floor apartment and create an external terrace.

The proposal involves creating a new residential entrance lobby at the rear of the building on Albion Mews Road with provision adjacent to the lobby area for waste and cycle storage.

Despite the confines of the existing building and it's split levels, the new apartments will be designed to maximise accessibility as far as possible. All units have been designed to comply with the nationally described space standards

Services: We understand mains drainage, water and electricity are connected to the premises.

Energy Performance Certificate: We note from the Non Domestic EPC Register, that the property has a rating of (70 - C) valid until January 2030. For the full recommendation report, please enquire.

Viewings Strictly by appointment through Motis Estates Commercial Agents in Folkestone - or .

VACANT POSSESSION UPON COMPLETION SUBJECT TO CONTRACT (This firm operates a Complaints Handling Procedure, details of which are available upon request).