Road of Remembrance
The road was closed at the end of January 2024 after a landslip brought trees down. Further landslips on the embankment followed.
Kent County Council (KCC), as the highway authority, is continuing to work in this area and has extended the road closure order until the end of August 2025.
This enables the remaining surveys, design work and works to stabilise the embankment to be carried out.
The closure date is not an indication of when the road will re-open as KCC has stated that it will re-open the road once it is safe to do so.
KCC has apologised for the inconvenience caused for residents and businesses in Folkestone.
Vegetation was cleared and tree height reduced on land owned by Folkestone & Hythe District Council at the top of the Road of Remembrance following the landslip.
The Vinery
Cliff stabilisation work near The Vinery, below The Leas, in Folkestone has now been completed ahead of the refurbishment of the Lower Leas Coastal Park play area.
The complex remediation strategy includes high tensile mesh, soil nailing, draped netting and a high king post wall.
A tree management programme to reduce heights and the risk of further slips is ongoing.
The Cow Path
The landslide above the Cow Path – which happened in November 2023 – presents different challenges and will need a bespoke approach. Remediation at this location has begun.
Why did the landslips happen?
There appears to be no single cause for the landslips. Landslips have occurred in the past, particularly along The Leas, and shallow depth landslips happen quite often.
The number taking place during February and March 2024 may be the result of a combination of several reasons:
- Rainfall during February was very high
- The ground - known as the Folkestone Formation - is a combination of medium to coarse grained sand with weakly cemented sandstones. This makes it prone to erosion and being unstable
- The weight of trees during high winds may be weakening the stability of the cliff
Timeline of landslips in Folkestone
- November 2023: Cow Path near the Lower Leas Coastal Park
- January/February 2024: Multiple on the Road of Remembrance, blocking bringing down vegetation and debris
- March 2024: Area below Maderia Walk, above the Lower Leas Coastal Park
- March 2024: Multiple behind Sunny Sands beach, bringing a tree down onto the promenade
- March 2024: Vegetation collapse at area in The Riveria, Sandgate, on private land