News

Folkestone's coastal park is continuing its winning ways. After being awarded the nationally-acclaimed Green Flag in July, it has just won two accolades from the south east regional branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

It secured the City and Metropolitan Area and Town Regeneration category of the RTPI's regional competition and was then voted overall winner of all six categories in the competition where it was up against projects from right across the south east.

Clare Wright, Chairman of the Regional Awards Panel, said the panel had been particularly impressed with the quality of the finished scheme including, both in its design, layout and high quality, robust materials.

"It enhances this coastal area and provides a free, fun leisure area in a modern take on the British seaside," she said.

"The aim of the awards is to promote and raise awareness of good practices in planning. The awards mark the diversity of planning achievement and look beyond purely physical outcomes to recognise innovative plans, processes, techniques, information systems, programmes of community. The panel wants to promote the best of what is new and the best of what my be more familiar but has been handled in a new way."

The redevelopment of the park is part of Shepway District Council's regeneration plans for the area. Two phases of work have already been completed and have seen a neglected stretch of undercliff transformed into a mile long stretch of formal and semi formal gardens, spring and summer meadows, walkways, avenues of pine trees, a fun zone and adventure playground for children and amphitheatre.

"Our aim was to make the most of the site's unique location along almost a mile stretch of undercliff," said Cllr Rory Love Cabinet Member for Environmental Services. "Winning this award is another fantastic achievement for the park and is richly deserved."

And at the Kent Design Awards held in Canterbury, Shepway District Council and architect Brook Hobbins’ transformation of ‘a wilderness’ into the Lower Leas coastal park on Folkestone seafront won the landscaping category.

The sustainable design and construction award went to the Helionix Designs for The Pines Calyx, St Margaret’s Bay, near Dover.

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter speaking at the awards ceremony said: "We are so lucky to have so many able building contractors, good professional design teams and architects’ practices producing some ‘stunning’ designs across the county.”