Folkestone & Hythe District Council leaders are meeting this month to finalise the transformation of the former Debenhams building into a new health centre and shopping area in Folkestone, Kent. The project aims to turn the large empty department store into a modern hub that will provide essential services and boost the local economy.
The council cabinet is reviewing the final business case for the Art Deco section of the site (known as Folca 2), which is set to house a modern medical facility alongside new retail space. The proposal is supported by NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) and by a £1.44 million Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant designed to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
According to BBC News and council papers, the new facility would provide a modern home for Guildhall Surgery and Manor Clinic and is intended to serve around 23,000 patients. Local MP Tony Vaughan KC, the MP for Folkestone & Hythe, has backed the project, saying it will bring much-needed healthcare services into the town centre.
Essential preparatory construction work to separate Folca 1 and Folca 2 (the two connected parts of the former Debenhams building) is scheduled as part of the phase 1 programme in early 2026. Council documents set the phase 1 construction programme at around January–June 2026; some reports have cited a similar February–July 2026 window. The older Edwardian part of the site (Folca 1) has been put on the open market, with the council intending to use any proceeds to help fund the Folca 2 redevelopment — a strategy reported by local outlets including ShepwayVox and reflected in council papers.
The council first purchased the site in May 2020 after the retailer closed. This review of the Folca 2 business case marks a significant step toward progressing the project and revitalising a landmark building that has been largely empty since closure, aside from a period when it was used as a vaccination centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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