One of the UK’s biggest free adventure play parks to get huge new revamp and its right by the beach
A TRENDY seaside town in the UK has revealed plans to revamp its award-winning coastal attraction.
The Lower Leas Coastal Park in Folkestone first opened in 2000, following a £1.2million project across the 11 hectares.
This was followed by another £1.4million phase, which opened in 2006.
And the park is set to renovate its huge playground, which is the largest free adventure play park in the South East.
Currently at the park is a huge kids playground with climbing structures, towers, slides and tunnels.
There is also the Bounty shipwreck, with climbing walls and sand diggers for smaller kids.
The council has requested locals put forward their suggestions on how to improve it in time for its 20th anniversary next year.
New equipment will replace the current aging structures, with hopes for new play areas as well as improved accessibility and changing areas.
Local council member Jeremy Speakman said: “This will be a major investment and we’re working on trying to secure extra funding for the project, so we obviously want to get it right.”
The survey will be open until February 25.
The Lower Leas Coastal Park has won a number of awards, including the Green Flag Award ever year.
Split into three zones, there is the fun zone – home to the kids playground – as well as a ‘formal’ zone with gardens and a wild zone with managed habitats.
Alongside the park is a cafe and an ampitheatre with free events.
And at one end is the Leas Lift, a funicular set to reopen after closing back in 2017.
A £6.6million project will restore the lift to working condition, connecting the cliff top to the beach.
One of only three water-balanced funiculars remaining in the UK, it opened in 1885 and carried 36million passengers before its closure.
The lift, along with a new cafe and outdoor terrace, originally wanted to open this summer although this is expected to be delayed.
And Folkestone was named one of the best places to live in the UK last year.
The seaside town is on the up, following the popularity of nearby towns Whitstable and Margate.
Even named the ‘new Brighton’ due to its proximity to London – trains take just 54 minutes to St Pancras – the Times named it one of its Best Places to Live in 2024.
Why is Folkestone suddenly cool?
The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey explains why Folkestone is a great place to live.
I made the move to Folkestone a few years ago, leaving the busy life of London and have never looked back.
Named one of the Best Places to Live in 2024 study by the Times, it toes the balance of being an exciting place to live, without feeling like a seaside town catered to tourists.
There is the Harbour Arm, with bars, eateries and shops, as well as the multi-coloured shops lining the Creative Quarter.
You can test your skills at F51, the worlds first multi storey skate park, or pop on the Eurotunnel and be in Calais in 35 minutes.
And often walking past the Leas Lift (where the former cafe did one of the best hot chocolates), I can’t wait for it to be restored.
Or you can hop over to France in just 35 minutes, being home to the Channel Tunnel.
We explored the seaside town and chatted to locals about why it is on the up – here’s what they said.