22-26 Dover Road & 3 Mill Bay, Folkestone, CT20 1JQ

1. 1.The proposal would introduce a more vulnerable residential use into an area identified as being within Flood Zone 3. Insufficient information has been supplied in the Flood Risk Assessment to demonstrate that the proposed development would be safe for its lifetime, taking climate change into account, without increasing flood risk elsewhere. In the absence of this information, the Local Planning Authority is unable to confirm that future occupiers would be safe in a flood event, contrary to Local Plan Policy SS1 and SS3 and National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs 178 & 181.
2. 2.The proposal, by virtue of its design and loss of the existing shopfront, would remove an active frontage and replace it with an incongruous and unsympathetic domestic form of development, in a prominent commercial location, failing to respect the character and appearance of the building and the surrounding street scene. This would cause detrimental harm to the significance, character, and appearance of the designated conservation area, with no public benefits identified to outweigh that harm. The proposal is therefore contrary to Local Plan Policies HB1 and HB8, the aims of the National Planning Policy Framework, and the statutory duty set out in Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act Folkestone & Hythe District Council Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2QY 1990.
3. 3.Insufficient information has been provided to satisfactorily assess the potential adverse impacts from the adjacent water/wastewater pumping station, in terms of noise, vibration, or odour and the effect it would have on future occupiers. In the absence of this information, the Local Planning Authority is unable to confirm that the proposal would safeguard the residential amenities and living conditions of future occupiers of the development. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy HB1 of the Places and Policies Local Plan and paragraph 135 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
4. 4.Insufficient marketing information has been submitted with the application to justify the loss of commercial office space and its conversion to residential dwellings and as such, the proposal has failed to demonstrate that a business or commercial use is not viable on site. The loss of employment sites, without adequate justification, could result in the district failing to provide a range of potential commercial locations to meet its employment needs in the future. In the absence of this information, the Local Planning Authority is unable to confirm that the proposal would preserve the vitality and viability of Folkestone Town Centre and therefore it would be contrary to the aims of Places and Policies Local Plan policies E2 and RL2, and National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 90.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

CT20 1JQ

Application type

Full Planning Permission

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Folkestone

Date validated

28 October 2025

Consultation expiry

3 December 2025

Consultation end

3 December 2025

Application expires

23 December 2025

Statutory period

56 days

Documents

20