Folkestone's fate has always been connected to its harbour. Since at least Roman times trading ships having been landing on these shores but it was the arrival of the railway that made the town a transport hub to rival Dover and one the most fashionable Edwardian seaside resorts. Departure point for the troops in World War I it was the site of Mata Hari's arrest and where Gandhi arrived in 1931 when fighting for Indian independence. During WWII over 2,000 long-range shells fell on Folkestone and the harbour was partially destroyed. The popular Channel crossing brought masses of people through the town until the service was stopped and the last train left the Harbour Station in 2009. By then Folkestone was no longer a desirable destination and the whole area fell into disrepair.

After being acquired by the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company the refurbished station opened as a public promenade in 2018 with a renewed offering of quirky food stalls and family entertainment.

The Harbour Plan - the last three plots in the Folkestone Seafront development - re-imagines the area around the Harbour Station where the warehouses and marshalling yard once stood. How can we plan a new neighbourhood where people want to live and visit that retains the character of harbour while making sure it has a long-term future? We believe the answer is in the site: in its layered history, in the views towards significant landmarks, in the success of the temporary food shacks, in the way people walk and spend time by the water.

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