Welcome to Sandgate Parish Council

Attractively located between Folkestone and Hythe, the coastal Kent village of Sandgate is a great place to live or visit. Sandgate is a few minutes’ journey from both towns by car or bus. It is also an easy and pleasant seafront walk or cycle ride. You’ll find award-winning beaches with long views over the English Channel.

Sandgate’s High Street has an array of shops offering antiques and collectables and gifts, and is a great place to eat, drink and meet. Eateries include cafes and coffee shops, traditional fish and chips, Thai, Indian, pizza, and burgers. There are traditional British restaurants and pub food, cosy bars and micropubs. Throughout Sandgate are small independent shops.

Sandgate’s History

Sandgate also has a fascinating history that embraces the times of Henry VIII, smugglers, the threat of invasion by Napoleon, and vital military roles in two world wars.

Social reformers and celebrities of literature and the arts have made their home in the village; from HG Wells to William Wilberforce, Hattie Jacques, and many more.

The buildings of the village reflect this rich heritage with over one hundred and twenty Grade II listed properties. There are ancient monuments such as the Sandgate Castle and the Martello Towers to visit.

Conservation areas cover a large part of the parish. This combines two miles of coast and steep wooded hills to provide an unique environment to visit, live and work. London is less than an hour away by train from nearby Folkestone West station on HS1.

The parish has over two miles of beach. The Sandgate Parish Council is proud our beach held the Seaside Award for meeting the highest standards of cleanliness for the last ten years (2013-23). However, we no longer feel it appropriate to claim we have excellent water quality, and so hold the award, when our own testing doesn’t support that. Dumping sewage in our sea is a disgrace.

The Parish Council

Sandgate Parish Council is one of over 9,000 parish and town councils in England forming the tier of local government closest to the people. All council meetings are open to the public.

Sandgate Parish Council directly manages the local library, the seafront public conveniences, and kiosk; two village greens, a war memorial, Sandgate Park in Military Road, and Enbrook Valley Park in Fremantle Road.

The council also takes an active part in enhancing other public spaces in the village with for example summer planting, history signboards, flags, and lights at Christmas.

The Parish Council is a consultee for planning applications in the village. Therefore to protect this special identity from inappropriate development the council has agreed and updated a Village Design Statement. This captures the detail of that heritage and the planning principles which will be used to protect the environment. The statement has been adopted by the local authority to be used to assess local planning applications.