Abandoned for years, Augusta Gardens townhouse is now five modern flats thanks to collaborative restoration efforts.
It sat empty for almost twenty years. This townhouse was in bad shape. Imagine missing floors and plants growing outside. Pigeons lived there!
The council told the old owner to fix it. They sent something called a Section 215 notice. Someone new bought it.
Browns Construction fixed it up over three years. A program helped bring it back to life. The program stops buildings from falling apart.
Kent County Council runs this program. It’s been helping fix old buildings for twenty years. Folkestone & Hythe District Council helps too.
They gave extra loans for tough jobs in 2014. This extra help mattered. Augusta Gardens really needed it.
Will Brown says the program makes things look nicer. It provides work for people. It helps the neighborhood too. They create homes that generate taxes.
The “No Use Empty Plus” gives more money. It gives up to £15,000 per apartment for hard projects. This will increase to £20,000.
Rebecca Shoob said it’s great that this property is reborn. She’s in charge of housing for the council. It isn’t an eyesore anymore!
Jim Martin leads the district council. He said working together helped. Public and private groups made great things happen. It supplies housing and improves things.
Six more Folkestone buildings are being fixed now. This is under the same program.