Yet more eye-catching properties could be added to a seaside village that has become a modern home hotspot in recent years – despite concerns raised by neighbours.
Ten apartments could be built in Sandgate, near Folkestone, on what is currently an overgrown garden overlooking the English Channel.
Permission was granted for the Sandgate Esplanade development in 2020 – and 10 new flats could be created. Picture: Family Homes
The small parcel of rugged land – measuring less than a quarter of an acre – has hit the market for £1.5 million, with permission already in place for the new development.
Once a modest-sized house’s front garden, CGI images show how large, white, modern blocks draped in foliage with glass balconies could be built.
It comes after Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) approved planning permission in 2020 for the 10 new flats on the disused land – cushioned between two existing homes along Sandgate Esplanade.
Once built, the development will have an underground car park for 12 vehicles. All the homes will have two bedrooms spilt across two blocks.
The plot along Sandgate Esplanade is currently overgrown. Picture: Google
The plot was once the front garden of a home called Hawkhurst, which still sits at the rear of the site.
Agents Family Homes described the scheme as a “rare opportunity to acquire land with planning permission for 10 apartments providing stunning views over the English Channel”.
Once a small village full of antique shops, Sandgate has seen a boom in modern homes such as these in recent years.
In the 1970s, many older properties were demolished and replaced with flats or newer buildings.
This has facilitated the rise in modern mansion-style homes.
The land where the news homes could be built has hit the market for £1.5 million. Picture: Family Homes
History experts in the area have criticised this influx, claiming developments such as these dominate views and threaten the “highly attractive and historic built environment of Sandgate”.
At the time the application for these 10 homes was submitted in 2020, it sparked several objections from neighbours to FHDC.
The Sandgate Society was against the development, adding: “This charming end of the village is constantly threatened by demolition of sound buildings to be replaced with apartment blocks, unsympathetic infilling of gardens and green spaces, inferior building works and significant changes to boundary walls – all of which dramatically affect the street scene in this conservation area.”
Another neighbour said: “I am particularly concerned about the serious damage of the character of the area, that the design conflicts with the Sandgate Design Statement 2020, the risks to surrounding buildings, the increased pressure on parking on the Esplanade, the fact that the entrance would be where the new zebra crossing has been placed, and the threat to protected species.”
A third objection reads: “We came to live here two years ago because of the special character of the area. We do not want to see this destroyed by modern high tower blocks, the building of which will also impact on the stability of surrounding houses.”
Planning documents submitted on behalf of the applicant at the time – Kitewood Ltd – said: “This proposal presents a new contemporary face to the seafront which will enhance the appearance of the area.
“These are new high-quality dwellings of substantial architectural merit that make the most of the site’s outstanding potential.”