London & Paris Hotel and Restaurant, Folkestone ⏐ Conservation Area ⏐ Alteration & Extension
The clients purchased this failed public house at the end of 2020 with a view to restoring the building, which is in a conservation area, using the ground floor as a high-quality seafood restaurant and bar, and converting the rest of the building back into an hotel, with nine high-quality guest bedrooms with en-suites on the floors above. The existing building was in very poor condition having suffered from a lack of maintenance over many years. During the stripping out works, it was discovered that the roof timbers were in such poor condition that they needed complete replacement, and that the internal floors had become detached from the external walls. This allowed us to make more extensive internal alterations and to design the roof such that it can be used as an extensive roof terrace, for which planning consent was obtained. During to restoration of the exterior of the property the original lettering for the original hotel was discovered and it was decided to reinstate the former name retaining and restoring the original lettering. We were also able to reinstate the original fenestration.
The proposed work will also include reinstating the access onto the roof at a later date with the addition of a new stair enclosure at roof level and the installation of balcony rails. The roof will only be for the use of guests staying at the property and not for public access.
