A building which was left to decay for nearly two decades has been refurbished thanks to the support of a council initiative.
Five new flats have been created in the five-storey town house located in Augusta Gardens, Folkestone, following three years of work by Browns Construction – backed by the No Use Empty scheme.
Now in its twentieth year, the Kent County Council-led programme helps fund the renewal of derelict properties by bringing them back into residential use.
Folkestone & Hythe District Council was one of its founding partners and, in 2014, introduced top up loans to help tackle some of the larger sites needing extra financial support.
Will Brown, director of Browns Construction, said: “The scheme is great because it gives people a job doing up properties, eliminates eyesores, helps the neighbours out, creates housing and generates council tax bills so it’s a win-win.”
Prior to the work being completed, the building in Augusta Gardens was inhabited by pigeons and had most of its floors missing.
Cllr Rebecca Shoob, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, added: “It’s wonderful that this property has been given a new lease of life after being an eyesore for so long.”
The No Use Empty Plus scheme has provided up to an extra £15k per residential unit to help bring back into use some of the more challenging properties that would otherwise have not been able to be financed. The new Housing Assistance Policy soon to be implemented is raising this top up limit to £20k per residential unit.
Leader Cllr Jim Martin added: “It has been a difficult project, but it shows – by working in partnership – the public and private sectors can combine to produce fantastic results that benefit everyone by providing much-needed housing, improving local environments and relieving urban blight.”
Six properties in Folkestone are currently being improved thanks to the No Use Empty scheme. You can learn more about the scheme here.