8-9 Marine Parade, Folkestone
Former Home to Army Intelligence WW1
NUE, the empty homes scheme run by KCC has started development on a long-term empty building in Folkestone that was once the home to Army Intelligence during the First World War, responsible for saving hundreds if not thousands of lives.
The locations, 8 and 9 Marine Parade, in Shepway Borough Council, were transformed into the centre of army intelligence under the command of Major Cecil Alymer Cameron, code name ‘Evelyn’ but eventually fell into disrepair. However, the NUE scheme, which provides funding to bring long-term empty homes back into use, is working with Lt. Col. Martin Neame to convert the two buildings into 12 flats.
The buildings at 8 and 9 Marine Parade housed a spy school that trained celebrated spies such as Léon Trulin and Louise de Bettignies, code name ‘Alice Dubois’, who both instrumental in passing intelligence to the British Army. In order to bring this historic building back into use NUE has issued an initial loan of £149,999, for the conversion of 8 Marine Parade. After completion, which will create 6 flats, the loan will be repaid to NUE and then reissued in order to deliver a further 6 flats to 9 Marine Parade.
Lt.Col Neame, who has successfully worked with NUE on a previous project, said: “I’m excited to be working with NUE again on the Marine Parade project, which will be a complete refurbishment of the two dilapidated buildings. Having seen them standing empty for so long, it seemed appropriate to bring them back into use and make them serviceable again. I had no prior knowledge of the rich British Military history of the site, but its story has added to the importance of bringing it back into use.”
Steve Grimshaw, Regeneration Project Manager, at NUE said, “It is great to see another building being brought back into use. By the end of this project NUE will have issued two separate loans and see 12 units created. The current shortage of housing means that it is important that we are bringing long-term empty buildings back to use, and providing a solution so that local areas can be revitalised and new much needed homes can be created.”
Internal Views of Property
Marine Pararde also featured in the BBC World War I Programme ‘The Spies Who Loved Folkestone’ (Episode 8 of 11) which also includes an interview with the new owner (10 mins 22 secs in).
To view the episode, please follow the link below: The Spies Who Loved Folkestone