Folkestone’s local cabinet has officially endorsed a £2.4 million grant to breathe new life into the Folkestone Sports Centre, paving the way for the long-awaited return of its swimming facilities. By supporting The Sports Trust’s revitalisation scheme for the Radnor Park Avenue site, officials have cleared the path for an extensive renovation project.
This investment covers essential repairs to the flat roof and the installation of energy-efficient solar panels, alongside a complete overhaul of the swimming pool and its changing rooms.
The community has been vocal about the facility’s importance since its doors closed in August 2024, with a petition to save the pool garnering approximately 9,000 signatures from residents, schools, and local clubs. With this funding secured, community swimming – along with its vital health and social benefits – is expected to return to the town later this year.
The Sports Trust, which also runs Three Hills Sports Park and F51, purchased the site last May and promised to “bring it back to life and re-establishing it as an excellent facility”.
Cllr Mike Blakemore, Cabinet Member for Community and Collaboration, said:
“This one-off grant will help reopen the much-missed Folkestone Sports Centre as soon as possible and I’m delighted we’re able to support the project. It helps address the lack of swimming provision within the district, support the objectives of our new strategic leisure approach, provide local schools with lessons and bring a long-standing community asset back into use. Once it is open again, we can proceed with our planned refurbishment of Hythe Pool.”
The agreement has several conditions, including monitoring and clawbacks, which protect the public purse.
The Sports Trust chief executive Dan Hulme added:
“We are incredibly grateful to Folkestone & Hythe District Council for approving this grant and for the continued support they have shown since we stepped in to secure the future of Folkestone Sports Centre and its swimming pool. From the outset, there has been a strong shared vision to restore a vital community space where people of all ages can access much-needed sport and leisure facilities. This funding is a significant milestone in that journey.
“It enables us to maintain momentum with both the behind-the-scenes work and the ongoing developments on site, ensuring that the reopening of the swimming pool remains on track. A great deal of progress has already been made, and this grant represents an important step forward in bringing the centre back into the heart of the community where it belongs.”