Four and a Half Years on the Market, No Takers: A Folkestone Church Could Become Two Homes

• South Kent Christian Community Church in Folkestone has been empty for more than six years
• It has been on the market for four and a half years
• Plans would create a two-bedroom house and a one-bedroom home
• The applicant said there was no demand for community or commercial use

An empty church in Folkestone could be converted into two homes, KentOnline reported in February 2025.

South Kent Christian Community Church on Cheriton Road has been vacant for more than six years and on the market for four and a half. Applicant Donald Holden plans to turn the main church into a two-bedroom house with a mezzanine floor and the church hall into a one-bedroom single-storey home, demolishing a lean-to between them. A decision was expected by the end of March.

“There has been no demand for the building as a commercial or community space. This proposal will help bring much-needed housing to the area while preserving the character of the church,” Holden said.

He added: “This project is about enhancing the area and providing housing that caters to different needs, including vulnerable people and those requiring care.”

The Folkestone case shows what happens when a church building finds no community buyer: after years of waiting, housing becomes the fallback. Jamaican churches with vacant buildings should market them early and widely, and consider homes for older or vulnerable people as a use that keeps a social purpose.

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