Library services are being relocated into a former Job Centre site in the town
The Folkestone Library in Grace Hill had to shut in December 2022 due to flood damage(Image: Wayland Smith/Geograph)
Folkestone’s historic Grace Hill Library – the oldest surviving purpose-built library in Kent – is to be sold on the open market. The decision, made by Kent County Council’s Reform UK administration, has sparked fury, with campaigners, MPs and local councillors accusing the authority of “desecration” and “betrayal”.
Despite a multimillion-pound proposal from Creative Folkestone to restore the Grade II-listed landmark, the council’s cabinet member for community and regulatory services, Cllr Paul Webb, has opted for an executive decision to dispose of the site. The move was formalised at a meeting of the county council’s growth, environment and transport committee this Tuesday.
Opened in 1888, the Grace Hill site is a cultural treasure boasting a Carnegie-funded extension and the town’s largest art gallery. Before its closure in December 2022 due to water ingress, it was the ninth most visited library in Kent’s 99-strong network.
Campaigners argue that the building’s current state is the result of systematic neglect, and claim that, after maintenance was centralised in 2011, the budget was effectively slashed to less than £20,000 per building per year. Now, rather than repairing the asset, the county council plans to move services to a leased former Job Centre in Sandgate Road – a move critics say will cost more in the long run due to higher rates and energy costs.
In October, a consortium led by Sir Roger de Haan’s arts charity Creative Folkestone submitted a partnership proposal. The plan was to find £15 million in regeneration funding to create a multi-use hub featuring library services alongside artists’ studios, digital workspaces and community event areas.
Creative Folkestone chief executive Alastair Upton said at the time: “Folkestone Central Library represents more than a century of learning and creativity. By bringing it back into use, we hoped to give it a new life that benefits everyone who lives, works, and studies here.”
However, the county council’s leadership has dismissed the bid. Tony Vaughan, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, said he was “absolutely livid” at the decision to auction the site.
He added: “This is both a mistake and the lazy option. Reform UK has done an utter hatchet job of considering the proposal.
“Mr Webb did not even seem to understand what he was reading. They have dismissed it without properly scrutinising or consulting the community.”
The Save Our Library campaign, which has organised marches, benefit gigs, and exhibitions to keep “Saving Grace” in the public eye, reacted with disappointment. Coordinator Jon O’Connor called the timing – the start of the International Year of Reading – a stinging coincidence.
He said: “Kent County Council has chosen to misrepresent the hard work of Creative Folkestone, preferring the easy option to give up on Grace Hill for a paltry sum. This is an act of desecration in public office. It is the wrong decision.”
The New Folkestone Society echoed this sentiment, accusing council officers of being “evasive” for three years while wasting vast sums on temporary relocations. They pointed out that the building was originally paid for by public subscription from the people of Folkestone.
A spokesman said: “Grace Hill is not broken – it remains the best location for the library, despite neglect by KCC.” Folkestone resident and library user Gemma Riggs said: “The undermining of the efforts that have gone into saving the library and building at Grace Hill are unbelievable and a huge insult to the people of Folkestone, who deserve access to this magnificent building and community asset.
“It is one of Folkestone’s few treasures – a bright, spacious, multi-use space that has so much character and history. I took my daughter there as a toddler before it sadly closed. We spent hours in the library, but also went to events in the beautiful gallery space.
“So much effort has gone into creating a viable plan to save the space and keep it for Folkestone’s community, and the proposal to auction it off at this stage is criminal. This is a piece of our heritage and it is about to be discarded. We can’t let this happen.”
The decision has even caused ripples within the local Reform UK ranks. Cllr John Baker (Folkestone West) expressed disappointment, though he attempted to frame the move as a temporary detour.
He said: “While I understand the financial reasons, I find it disappointing given the importance of Grace Hill.” He added that a break clause in the new Sandgate Road lease in 2030 could allow a future return – provided a community group can save the building in the interim.
Cllr Baker said: “Importantly, the Sandgate Road site is on a 15-year lease, with the first break point in December 2030, and the council has confirmed there will be a formal review around 2028, ahead of that break point. This means the library’s location can be reconsidered at that stage.
“If Creative Folkestone – or another community-led organisation – secures and restores the Grace Hill building, there remains a realistic opportunity for the library to return there in the future. I will continue to support solutions that protect Folkestone’s heritage, support our cultural organisations, and deliver the best outcomes for residents – now and in the years ahead.”
However, opposition parties are not convinced. Cllr Tim Prater (Liberal Democrat) said he was “appalled” and questioned the data the council had used to justify the sale.
He said: “There are statements in the report used to make the decision that just are not true.” The Shepway Green Party, led by district council leader Jim Martin, accused Reform of breaking campaign promises to save the site, adding: “Reform have let the community down.
Their local councillors promised to do all they could to get the library reopened in its rightful home, yet they are allowing the best chance to achieve this to be squandered.” The message is clear: the fight is not over.
Residents are being urged to email Cllr Paul Webb and local County Councillors John Baker and Mary Lawes to demand a stay of execution for the building.
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