News

Sandgate Parish Council is delighted our application for Sandgate Granville Parade to become a designated bathing water has been successful. As of 15th May it is a designated bathing water.

Weekly Environment Agency Water quality testing will now take place during the summer there. Results will be reported on the Swiminfo website.

The official notification says:

“Defra recently conducted a national consultation on the proposal to designate new bathing water sites in England under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, including Sandgate Granville Parade. DEFRA have now confirmed the designation has been approved. The site will be added to the list of bathing waters ahead of the start of the 2026 bathing season in May.

“Designation also means the site will be subject to regular testing via inclusion in the Environment Agency’s water quality monitoring programme from May 2026. A bathing water profile for the site will be available on the Swimfo website, giving bathers a clearer picture on water quality for public health.”

Beach Naming

The new bathing water will be called “Sandgate Granville Parade”. Granville Parade is the central point, although the beach extends a little way either side of that.

The beach previously called “Sandgate Beach” by Battery Point will now be officially called Seabrook Beach. This seems fitting, as it’s in Seabrook!

It will inherit the water quality rating previously ascribed to Sandgate, as that is where the water testing had, until now, taken place.

Bathing Water Profile for Sandgate Granville Parade.

Bathing Water Profile for Seabrook Beach.

Susan Claris, who Chairs Sandgate Parish Council’s Environment Committee and led the Council through the application process, said:

“I am delighted that Granville Parade in Sandgate has today been designated as a bathing water by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

“I would like to thank everyone who supported Sandgate Parish Council’s application last year. The support from residents, visitors, swimmers, organisations and people across the community including MP Tony Vaughan was critical.

“This means that the site will now have regular testing by the Environment Agency. We’ll have a bathing water profile giving information on water quality so that we can all enjoy this beach in the heart of our village.”

“We just couldn’t have done this on our own.”

Results we could trust

Sandgate Parish Council Chair, Tim Prater, added:

“We’re delighted! Getting this designation has been a long project, but the start was simple. We wanted to be able to trust that the water quality testing results from our main beach were reliable.

“When we found the water quality testing point was a mile away from where people mainly actually swim we could no longer rely on them. So we wanted testing where people swim. To get that, we needed to get our main beach designated.

“So that’s why we are where we are. And as of today, we have a designated bathing water. Testing will take place from where people actually swim. We can have some more confidence in those results.

“Thank you to all the local residents, Councillors especially Susan, and Parish Clerk Gaye, who have been involved in this application. They’ve done loads of work to get us here: it feels hugely worth it now.”

Saga Press Release issued 14th May 2026

Saga has returned home to Enbrook Park and begins planning a sustainable future for the site.

Before the pandemic, Saga was Folkestone’s largest employer and had office space in the town for around 2,500 of its colleagues. During lockdown all of its local offices were closed and shortly after were emptied of furniture and put up for sale.

In early 2025 Saga decided to return to Enbrook Park, marking the start of an exciting new growth phase for the business. Building on its 75-year history in Folkestone, moving back was part of Saga’s long term growth plans, which included reestablishing connections with the local community and securing its long-term future at its Enbrook Park site.

Under the leadership of CEO Mike Hazell, Saga has reaffirmed its commitment to Folkestone, emphasising the important role that the company plays in supporting local communities and businesses. Its plans include some responsible development to ensure the long-term protection and sustainability of its site in Sandgate.

“Saga has deep roots in Folkestone,” said Mike Hazell, CEO of Saga plc. “The return to Enbrook Park was not just about offices for our colleagues. It was about ensuring the site remains a thriving part of Saga and the local community.”

“In order for the site to make long term sense, we can’t run it in the same way we did in the past. Our business is different now, and the way people work has also changed. We will therefore need to ensure we set the site up in a sustainable way that makes sense for Saga, our colleagues and the wider community.” Hazell explains.

Transforming The Pavilion

The Pavilion which used to accommodate Saga’s dining rooms, canteen and its company’s creche has fallen into a state of serious disrepair and needs substantial restoration to bring it back to life. This will require significant investment beyond what has already been invested since returning to Enbrook Park. The team is exploring various options that would give it a new lease of life as a flexible, multi-purpose space, not just for Saga colleagues but also to support local organisations and community events.

The proposed transformation would see the 31,000 sq ft building, reborn as a vibrant space for Saga as well as the community; ensuring the building becomes, once again, a vibrant focal point for Sandgate.
“We’re hoping that once renovated The Pavilion will play a meaningful role in community life here in Sandgate”, says Hazell. “Our vision is to create a welcoming, accessible space that brings people together, celebrates the park’s heritage, and reflects our renewed commitment to Folkestone.”

An under-utilised site

When Saga last occupied Enbrook Park it was a very busy business hub, welcoming over 1,000 colleagues every day and supporting a wider workforce of more than 5,000 people. Today, Saga operates very differently, working to a more modern hybrid working patterns, with between 400 to 500 people generally on-site most days. So, while Enbrook Park could form a proud part of the renewed culture and vision at Saga, it is now oversized and expensive to maintain relative to its operational requirements.

“To fund our plans for The Pavilion and support the ongoing maintenance of the site, we will need to explore some residential development in under-utilised parts of the estate to the east, albeit representing only a small proportion of the overall area. Our intention will be to respect the beautiful character of the wider site, while creating a sustainable and long-term home for Saga and our colleagues.” comments Hazell.

“We want Enbrook Park to be a vibrant part of Sandgate, retaining part of the site for local use, and bringing sustainable wealth and employment back to the area. In support of this, we want to jointly shape our development plans with local community input, recognising the important role the site plays in their daily lives.” Hazell added.

“After today’s announcement, the company will start to engage with local stakeholders to hear feedback and find balanced solutions, ensuring that what is developed is sensitive to the character of the area, respectful of the site’s natural environment, and beneficial to the wider community and economy.” Hazell continues.

Saga continues to be one of the area’s most significant employers and will continue to champion the Folkestone and Hythe economy by supporting local businesses, nurturing local talent, and investing in community projects.

Hazell concludes:

“As we celebrate our 75 Year Anniversary, we are proud to be back in Enbrook Park and excited at the opportunity to breathe new life into a landmark building, creating a fantastic new asset that can be shared with the community. In doing so we would be securing our long-term commitment to the area in a way that benefits both the company and the local communities we support.”

Earlier in 2026, Sandgate Parish Council were delighted to nominate Patrick Butler for the KALC Community Award 2026 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the village.

The nomination highlighted that, for 18 years, he has built the Village Store as the heart of Sandgate, providing an exceptional range of goods and services and consistently going the extra mile to strengthen community spirit. In addition over the last year he had, alongside Freya, taken on full control of “The Bar” at 96 Sandgate High Street, and Curio Gallery at 101 Sandgate High Street, each bringing new life and footfall to the High Street.

Patrick formally received his award certificate last month from Jonathan Neame, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent, at Shepherd Neame Brewery, and also undertook a tour of the brewery.

Additionally on 27th April, Patrick attended the Parish Council meeting for a second presentation from Parish Chair Tim Prater, who thanked Patrick for bringing a huge amount to Sandgate over nearly 20 years. At the meeting, Patrick outlined potential options for the former Christopher Buck premises, which he is leasing from the Masonic Lodge. He advised that initial ideas could include hot desking facilities, together with a gallery and studio space for a local artist Robbie Graham to work in view of the public.

In the longer term, Patrick indicated there was a possibility of reinstating the premises as three separate units, as historically. Potential uses include a pharmacy (although this has a lot of red tape complexity), launderette, and juice bar, with alternative seasonal uses also under consideration. He confirmed that the freeholders (the Masonic Lodge) had been very supportive.

The Parish Council congratulated Patrick on his award, and a photograph was taken with the Chair for inclusion on the Parish Council website.

Sandgate’s campaign to get Granville Parade beach designated a bathing beach has had a massive boost with news the government has accepted the Parish Council’s application and it is included among 13 new designated swimming sites nationally proposed by the government.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kgngg4wl4o

Designation would mean Granville Parade would get regular water quality testing to reassure swimmers on pollution levels – at the moment our closest water monitoring point is at Seabrook (despite being officially called “Sandgate beach”).

Sandgate Parish Council ran an informal consultation and beach usage surveys in 2025, as a part of the application process. The application was submitted in October 2025, and has resulted in Granville Parade being included as one of 13 potential new designated bathing beaches nationally.

You can take part in the consultation on the DEFRA website.

Sandgate Parish Council Chair Tim Prater said:

“We’re delighted that our application for Granville Parade – Sandgate’s main beach – to be a designated bathing water has moved to the next stage.

“We have got here due to the work of volunteers, and the support of residents, visitors, swimmers, organisations and people from across the community including our MP Tony Vaughan.

“We hope people will input into this survey too and support the designation. Doing so literally puts us on the map, but more importantly means we may get regular water quality testing here, where people swim, rather than at Seabrook Battery Point, where less people do.”