Christmas Sandgate Library Closure:
The parish office will be closed from 24th December until 2nd January.
Very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from all at Sandgate Parish Council and Library.
Residents in Folkestone & Hythe are encouraged to make a note of changes to the household waste and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period.
Some collections will be made later than usual to allow hard-working crews to enjoy some time off over the festive season.
| Original collection date | New collection date |
| Monday 23 December | No change |
| Tuesday 24 December | No change |
| Wednesday 25 December | Friday 27 December |
| Thursday 26 December | Saturday 28 December |
| Friday 27 December | Monday 30 December |
| Monday 30 December | Tuesday 31 December |
| Tuesday 31 December | Wednesday 1 January |
| Wednesday 1 January | Thursday 2 January |
| Thursday 2 January | Friday 3 January |
| Friday 3 January | Saturday 4 January |
The household waste and recycling collections will return to normal on Monday 6 January. The revised schedule for specific properties can be found on the council’s website.
Cllr Jeremy Speakman, Cabinet Member for Assets and Operations, said:
“I would kindly ask residents who may have relatives, friends or neighbours without internet access to check this information for them so they don’t miss out on any collections.
“Christmas is a particularly busy time for crews – I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts over the season and throughout the whole year.”
Meanwhile, garden waste collections are taking their usual winter break. The last collection will be on Friday 20 December before the service resumes on Monday 6 January.
A free real Christmas tree recycling service will be available again in the new year. Garden waste customers can simply leave them out on their usual collection day, while non-subscribers will need to arrange a collection in January.
There are various ways to reduce waste over Christmas – top tips will be shared on Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s social media channels in the coming weeks.
Veolia crews empty household waste bins with a fully-closed lid every fortnight – they are not able to take extra rubbish. Please recycle as much as you can; additional paper and cardboard can be put in another box for collection.
Residents are reminded to ensure their waste bin/box is out by 7am on collection day.
Kent County Council are consulting on changes to the preventative Services that it funds. It proposes to cut the Community Navigation service and significantly reduce wellbeing services for older people and adults with complex needs.
How to take part?
You can fill out the consultation online at www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeingconsultation
You can call Kent County Council on 03000 415846
You can send an email to innovationandpartnerships@kent.gov.uk
You can pick up a paper copy at:
So, this Friday 6th December is late night shopping night on Sandgate High Street and you are ALL invited!
There will be an extra special VIP in Sandgate Library who would be delighted to see the under 10s from 5.15pm – 6pm : free entry!
Up and down the High Street there will be plenty of places to go with friends and family.
Noyce will be open and happy to see you on the evening, as well as many other places that will be open including Workshopnumber29 with loads of perfect gifts for the perfect Christmas.
Friday is also the official reopening night for The Providence Inne Sandgate who we are delighted to welcome back with new owners Chris and Claire Louise! They have live music from The Swing Rats on Friday evening, and would love to see you, as would Docker Brewery (96 Sandgate High Street), The Ship Inn – Sandgate, Gee’s Bar – The Royal Norfolk Hotel and more!
ROKA Pizza are offering 15% off all orders for collection on their app on Friday 6th: their wood fired pizzas are ace, and if you haven’t tried a Roka dessert, try a Roka dessert.
And The Dog House will be open until 7.30 with hot drinks, cake and hosting a range of local artisans including Ann Blunt Glass, Carol Needham gifts, Sandgate ceramic and It’s A Florrie Thing Jewellery – another great source of Christmas gifts!
And why not join John Dory at 102 Sandgate High Street who will be serving mince pies and port by the glass from 7.30pm. A great way to round off your evening!
By Councillor Peter Hickman
The project to install solar panels onto the flat roof of Folkestone Rowing Club on Granville Parade got the green light to proceed by the in house committee back in the late spring of 2023. There were some challenges to overcome! These included funding, planning permission and getting the right design for the sometimes harsh environmental conditions that the panels would have to endure.
A small solar installation committee was formed consisting of Murray Fairclough (Oversight and finance), Peter Godden (FRC Building Surveyor and Planning), Karen Callander (Green grants and finance) and Peter Hickman (Project oversight, quotes and installation co-ordination).
A number of quotes were obtained and initially the committee decided on a ballast solution for the installation as this saved panel fixings being directly drilled into the waterproof roof membrane. However, when the final weight calculations were submitted to the FRC structural engineer he was unwilling to sign the project off as it effectively put eight tons of additional weight onto the100 plus year old roof.
It was time for a rethink. Peter Hickman approached Kevin Blackman from Emerald Electrical in Hythe to take a look at the issue of how to secure the panels without compromising the the waterproof membrane on the roof. The innovative solution is described more fully below.
The installation of 16 solar panels onto the flat roof of the FRC marks a significant achievement in innovative design. Emerald Electrical opted for a bespoke uni strut frame rather than a conventional ballast solution and this approach really showcases the innovation and how it is tailored to a specific architectural need. Unlike the ballast fix that relied on heavy weights to secure the panels, the uni strut frame used for our installation ensures a lighter, more secure, and aesthetically pleasing setup, minimising structural load on the flat roof while providing stable anchorage on the side walls for the panels.
The bespoke framing system was designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of the club’s roof. Given the challenges posed by potential wind uplift on flat surfaces, precise engineering was critical in optimising the frame’s positioning and alignment, ensuring that each panel will perform efficiently without being adversely affected by wind or adverse weather conditions. The structural adaptation included careful adjustments that protected the existing roof membrane, therefore avoiding potential water leaks and ensuring the long-term integrity of the installation.
The committee believes that this successful installation not only advances the club’s sustainability goals by reducing reliance on traditional energy sources but also demonstrates a commitment to innovative engineering solutions. The solar panels are expected to significantly cut electricity costs by harnessing the available sunlight, thereby reducing the club’s carbon footprint while providing a reliable, renewable energy source.
This project sets a precedent for similar installations within the community, illustrating how customised engineering solutions can effectively address site-specific challenges.
This was an ambitious project that at times proved challenging and I would personally like to thank my fellow committee members for all their hard work in getting this over the line. A special thank you goes to Karen Callender for pushing through the mountain of paperwork! Thank you Karen!
The installation commenced on Monday 18th November and was completed on Friday 22nd November. Our first green electricity was generated at 3pm on that day.
The cost of our system from the excellent Emerald Electrical Services was £8,100 (no VAT to pay) for a 16 panel 7.38kw system, with savings estimated to be up to £2,053 per year based on a unit rate of electricity being 33p. 40% of the capital cost was met by a grant from the Folkestone and Hythe District Council Green Business Grant scheme, offering grants of up to £10,000 to cover up to 40% of a total project cost.
Photos below courtesy of Issy Oakes Photography.
Sandgate Parish Council has put up signs along the beach front informing residents and visitors that the quality of the water at our beach is normally excellent or good, but that after heavy rainfall or stormy conditions, the quality of the water may be adversely affected for up to 48 hours. The signs include websites and QR codes where further information on water quality may be found.
This follows work done by the Parish Council a year ago to test the water at Granville Parade, because of concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the data published by the Environment Agency and Southern Water. We decided that we should issue advice to sea users on best practice so that they may enjoy the sea in a safe manner – the signs that have now gone up.
Based on the sea water testing, Sandgate Parish Council reluctantly decided last year not to apply for the Seaside Award, Keep Britain Tidy’s nationwide standard for the best beaches across the UK. Sandgate had been proud to receive the Seaside Award for the last ten years and the Parish Council wrote an open letter in April 2024 to various organisations to explain this decision (https://sandgatepc.org.uk/2024/04/04/sandgate-parish-council-and-the-seaside-award-2024/).
The Parish Council has again reluctantly decided not to apply for the Seaside Award this year, as conditions have not changed.
Our open letter contained specific recommendations for Southern Water and the Environment Agency and we can now provide an update on these as follows.
We recommended that Southern Water should update their wastewater handling so it no longer requires discharge of sewage to sea at Granville Parade (and elsewhere). We also recommended that, in the interim, the sewage outfall pipe at Granville Parade should be extended further out to sea by Southern Water to help keep sewage spillage away from the bathing area and beach.
Southern Water responded that they “do not have any plans to extend the sewage outfall pipe at Granville Parade as the Sandgate area is already achieving the Government’s target.”
We also recommended that the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Sandgate should be at Granville Parade as this is where most people swim. Currently, the sampling point for Sandgate is at Seabrook Point: a mile west from Granville Parade and to the west of a sewage outfall pipe. The prevailing current in this area runs west to east and testing therefore fails to pick up pollutants which are dissipated in an easterly direction towards Sandgate and Folkestone. The Environment Agency’s response explained that designations for bathing waters are decided by DEFRA. The Bathing Water Regulations and application guidance are currently being revised and during this time, DEFRA is not accepting applications for bathing water designation.
DEFRA expects to begin accepting applications again in Spring 2025 and the Parish Council, working with the District Council, will be applying to DEFRA for the beach at Granville Parade to be designated as bathing water, with water quality testing being undertaken at that location.
The latest chapter of bi-annual beach management work helping to protect more than 3,000 homes and businesses from flooding starts next week.
Contractors will begin recycling and regrading shingle along the five-mile stretch of coast between Fisherman’s Beach in Hythe through Sandgate to Folkestone Harbour on Monday 4 November – a process that takes up to eight weeks to complete.
This approach is currently the most cost-effective way of protecting the district and offers far superior protection than the old timber groynes.
This important task, which will see 142,000 tonnes of shingle moved on this occasion, is carried out twice a year and helps shield the sea wall.
It’s all about further reducing the possibility of flooding and coastal erosion and, ultimately, protecting our residents.
Shingle is moved from east to west to allow the longshore drift to naturally spread it to aid the prevention of overtopping during storm events.
Any disruption will be kept to a minimum, and no work will be carried out between Christmas and the new year.
Christmas at Sandgate Library!
For children up to 9 years old.
Meet Santa and receive a special free gift!
Friday December 6th
5:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Children must be accompanied by a grown-up to share in the fun!
Don’t miss this wonderful holiday event!
The Connectivity Access Scheme is now OPEN for Kent County Council area residents.
The Connectivity Access Scheme provides digitally excluded residents with access to the internet (by providing sim cards).
To be eligible for a SIM card through the Connectivity Access Scheme, beneficiaries must meet all the following criteria:
For more information on the criteria and how to apply, please visit the Connectivity Access website.
“On the basis of our review of Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR), in our opinion the information in sections 1 and 2 of the AGAR is in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters have come to our attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirement.”
The 2024 report of the external auditor is as shown above, and is also available to inspect from the Sandgate Parish Council office during opening hours.
Please note that due to the way this document is produced, including sections that need to be signed and scanned by law, parts of the document do not meet our usual accessibility standards.