A once-infamous address in Folkestone has been transformed with the help of the No Use Empty initiative.
Number 45 Augusta Gardens is the current jewel in the crown of the No Use Empty (NUE) scheme with all those involved in its refurbishment agreeing the before and after photos are the most dramatic yet, and NUE a ‘no-brainer’ in terms of its mission and success to date.
The five-storey town house was inhabited by pigeons and had most of its floors missing when developer Will Brown first got the keys in January 2022 following support from the NUE scheme to initially acquire the property.
It had stood empty for close to 20 years and was the subject of multiple complaints and a petition with a potential compulsory purchase order from Folkestone and Hythe District Council looming.
After a challenging three-year construction project and additional loans from NUE, it now contains five striking flats, with the first tenant having moved in at the end of January.
Will said: “No Use Empty works for me because the team are really proactive to work with and are a lot easier than traditional lenders. They are a nice bunch of people who look out for you and they want to get the job done.
“The scheme is great because it gives people a job doing up properties, it eliminates eyesores, it helps the neighbours out, it creates housing and generates council tax bills so it’s a win-win.
”If I had gone through a high street lender, this project would have gone bust and 45 Augusta Gardens would have remained derelict. That’s the reality of it. With problem buildings like this, that you can’t really pin your budget down because you keep uncovering issues, they always end up falling through, and you see certain properties in and out of auction for that reason. Unless you can get a good lender then you have no chance.
“People are now proud to own in this street where it once was a no-go. They are now thinking ‘let’s do ours up’ as its not being driven down by this one.”
NUE is a recyclable loan scheme from KCC that as the name suggests is bringing empty properties back to life. First time applicants are offered 0% terms and those returning to the scheme are offered an interest-bearing loan. The terms are robust and the rewards great.
Derek Murphy, KCC Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “No Use Empty is an absolutely no brainer scheme. It creates homes and business, benefitting the entire local community, it contributes considerably to the regeneration of the street scene, and raises revenue. NUE is an incredible success story and I am proud to say that we in Kent are trailblazers for a scheme that is recognised nationally as best practice for how to implement regeneration economically and effectively.”
Cllr Rebecca Shoob, Folkestone and Hythe District Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said: “It’s wonderful that this property has been given a new lease of life after being an eyesore for so long.”
Steve Grimshaw, NUE Strategic Programme Manager and NUE lead, said: “Watching the video footage again of what it looked like previously and to be stood here now seeing it transformed into five flats on the market for rental is a really good feeling. It has uplifted and helped to regenerate the rest of the street giving its identity back. If it wasn’t for NUE, I don’t think you would be looking at a project like this because it just wouldn’t stack up.”