A rippling white wall of luxury flats rises from the beach in Folkestone, the glazed bricks doing their best to gleam with summery seaside promise on an overcast day at the Kent coast. The building swells out in a broad arc towards the sea, bulging with curved bays and big balconies, as roof terraces cascade from the penthouses up top. It has the smooth white form of freshly served Mr Whippy, while dotty areas of protruding bricks add a pixelated look, like a cloud from a video game.
Shoreline Crescent is the latest evidence of Folkestone’s rapid ascent from rundown seaside town to fashionable coastal commuter hub. Marketed as “On the beach’s edge but just an hour from the capital”, these new homes come with London prices to match. While an average terrace house in Folkestone goes for £290,000, these flats range from £430,000 for a one-bed, to £1.3m for a two-bed, topping £3m for a penthouse. And it’s not a one-off. This block is the first in a battalion of similar buildings that will march all the way along the beach, rising in height until they eventually culminate in a cluster of towers around the harbour, bringing 1,000 new flats and a big shopping centre, radically changing the face of this former fishing town. Only 8% of the homes will be classed as affordable – in one of the most deprived wards in the country, where the local target is 22%.
