First phase of Folkestone plan complete
The massive regeneration of the seafront at Folkestone may take until 2020 to complete, it was revealed this week.
The plan, which is the dream of billionaire ex-Saga boss Roger De Haan, will completely transform the harbour and old Rotunda site.
Mr De Haan's team has revealed a three-stage process which begins with a detailed evaluation of the master plan, and follows with the plans being drawn up. The final phase will be building the project.
The first stage has nearly been completed with a secret developer.
Phase two may take up to 18 months and the building of the project may take five to 10 years to finish, making a completion date of 2020 a possibility.
Whichever developer carries out the work will almost certainly have to work with the detail of the master plan.
The proposals aim to include 1,400 luxury homes on the site; a university campus; new marina; leisure facilities and a fast ferry operation out of the harbour to Boulogne.
The master plan was drawn up by the world-renowned Foster and Partners.
The total cost will run to hundreds of millions of pounds with the regeneration project financially underpinnned by the sale of the homes.
Spokesman Peter Bettley said: "In the past few months developers who are interested in the site have been scrutinising the Foster master plan with a senior team from Foster's.
"These are the people who would potentially deliver the finished development on the seafront.
"The developer we are speaking to at the minute has asked for confidentiality in case they don't move onto the next stage."
The start of the master plan's implementation was delayed for almost 18 months after a wrangle between Mr De Haan's team and the owner of a massive chunk of the land, the property magnate Jimmy Godden.
Mr Godden owned a large swathe of the seafront site and eventually sold it for an undisclosed sum. The deal in November 2006 was thought to involve a lump sum and property exchange.
Negotiations were carried out between Mr Godden and Mr De Haan's partners, the Radnor Estate.
Mr Godden's hand had been significantly strengthened by obtaining planning permission for his own development for a housing and leisure complex.
