Otterpool Park Garden Town
Plans for the new garden town at Otterpool are proceeding steadily and the council is now negotiating with Homes England as a potential strategic partner.
This landscape-led development will have around 50% open space and many thousands of new trees. There are also plans for a dedicated solar farm which will supply electricity directly to the site ensuring that both the construction and building phase will be genuinely carbon neutral. The houses will all be fitted with solar panels.
Otterpool Park Garden Town is one of the largest planned developments in the region and is seen as a flagship project for sustainable growth. It is expected to provide thousands of new homes, significant green infrastructure, and community facilities, setting a benchmark for low-carbon living in the district.
Social housing retrofits
Improving the energy efficiency of social housing is a major priority in Folkestone & Hythe, both to reduce tenants’ energy bills and to help the district meet its climate targets. The council has secured significant funding to upgrade its housing stock, with a focus on insulation, renewable energy, and modern heating systems.
More than 120 council-owned homes have recently been retrofitted with measures such as insulation, solar panels, and heating upgrades, resulting in lower energy bills and improved comfort for tenants.
The council has also received £2.6 million in government funding for further improvements, matched by its own investment, targeting another 300 homes over 2025. Upgrades include loft, wall, and roof insulation, double glazing, air source heat pumps, and solar PV installations, with a goal of achieving at least EPC band C for all social homes.