Folca, 48-66 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 1DW Data via plota.co.uk
Proposal
Application for Prior Approval under Class MA of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) for the change of use of part of the former department store from commercial, business and service use (Class E) to 21no. dwellings to residential use (Class C3). Data via plota.co.uk
Application progress
Approved on 8 Oct 2026 · Last checked 8 Oct 2026
Planning committee
Decided by Shepway Planning and Licensing Committee on 6 Oct 2026.
Approved by 10 votes to 0
No officer report was published for this decision; this summary is from the committee minutes.
- The agent spoke in support of the application.
- The committee voted unanimously to grant prior approval, subject to planning permission under application 26/1113/FH.
Source: Plota analysis of Shepway's committee minutes, Shepway Planning and Licensing Committee minutes, 6 October 2026 .
Documents 50
Decision & officer reports 2
Statements & assessments 5
Plans & drawings 34
Application forms 2
Consultation & comments 4
Site constraints 5
Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Mining Remediation Authority, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.
Every application in Shepway - and every UK council - as a live feed, an API, or a bulk CSV export.
Other new applications on this street
The Toll House, Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2JP
Works to trees in a conservation area comprising of T1-3 Poplar pollard to 5.5 m...
Land Rear of 119-121 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2BL
Approval of details pursuant to conditions 3 (water usage), 5 (cycle storage) & ...
Nationwide, 77-79, Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2AQ
Installation of solar powered defibrillator and a bleed kit stand.
Abbeywell Veterinary Clinic, 2 & 3 Majestic Parade, Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2BZ
Erection of a rear single-storey extension following demolition of existing rear...
Nearby new applications
South Kent Christian Community Church, 32 Cheriton Road, Folkestone, CT20 1BZ
Approval of details pursuant to condition 10b (gate) 10c (railings) & 10d (doors...
West Pier, Folkestone Harbour, Harbour Approach Road, Folkestone
Permanent retention of existing triennial artwork comprising of single marble sc...
Land Adjoining 3, London Street, Folkestone
Erection of a single-storey dwelling, alterations to existing retaining walls an...
Former Rotunda Amusement Park, Marine Parade, Folkestone
Non material amendment to planning permission Y17/1099/SH - amendment to Conditi...
26 & 28 Church Street, Folkestone, CT20 1SE
Approval of details pursuant to condition 4 (joinery) of planning permission 24/...
Glendale, The Bayle, Folkestone, CT20 1SH
Replacement of existing timber windows with UPVC casement windows & installation...
Important details
How this decision compares
Decided in 71 days from validation, 18 days slower than Shepway's median of 53 for changes of use. Approved, as 80% of changes of use here are.
Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Shepway in the last twelve months, from validation. Shepway decision record →
Public comments
No public comments yet.
Last counted 8 Oct 2026
Consultation & key dates
- Comments by
- 8 Sept 2026
Historical activity at this location
25 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.
Nearby activity
Shepway is one of the fastest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #5 out of 296. Only 12% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (88%) than the national average (90%).
Track this application
Folca, 48-66 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 1DW
Tracking this application
Not there in a minute? Check junk - especially Hotmail and Outlook.
Go to your dashboard →Sign in to view contact details
Applicant and case-officer names are hidden from public view for privacy. Create a free Plota account - or sign back in - and we'll show them, plus you get a dashboard for alerts and tracked applications.
