Local authorities across the UK are grappling with financial woes, and communities nationwide, including once-thriving seaside towns, are feeling the pinch. Folkestone in Kent is one such place that has seen better days. In a recent chat, businessman Sir Roger De Haan shared how he watched this charming town decline into a bleak, neglected area.
The closure of its ferry port in the early 2000s forced Folkestone to reinvent itself as Dover took over cross-channel travel in the county. The advent of affordable flights abroad led to a drop in domestic tourism to Folkestone. The harbour and town centre became desolate reminders of more prosperous times.
Sir Roger revealed that his father, the founder of holiday company Saga, had foreseen this decline but would be proud of what the town has transformed into today – a revitalised, trendy hub brimming with art and culture, now arguably the UK’s hippest seaside town. This transformation was fuelled by a whopping £100 million investment from Sir Roger’s charitable foundation.
