Work has finally started on a £6.6m restoration of a dilapidated seafront lift which bosses hope will reopen next year.
The Grade II*-listed Leas Lift in Folkestone carried passengers between the promenade and beach before shutting in 2017.
Now London-based firm Apex Contractors has started clearing vegetation from the site, which has long been earmarked for restoration.
Along with returning the lift to working order, the funicular railway’s waiting room will be renovated, and a new building will be constructed to house a modern cafe with an outdoor terrace.
The project was initially expected to be completed by the summer of this year, but a competitive tendering process has caused delays.
Folkestone Leas Lift Company Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which is leading the project, says it is now earmarking spring 2026 for a potential reopening.
Jo Streeter, trustee of the CIO and chairman of the build committee, says the scheme will “bring a historic icon back to life”.
“Having been involved in the project since about 2018, it’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to start work on it,” she said.
“Every time you’re down at the lift, people pop in and ask when it will be open again. There’s a genuine passion for this historical gem of Folkestone to be in operation again.
“Having the lift back will help many parts of the community as well as visitors and tourists by bridging new and old developments at such an iconic, historic site.
“It’s bringing back a key transport link, but it’ll also be great for historians and students as we want to show off the glory of Victorian engineering.”
A major step forward is expected next month when the carriages will be removed for renovation once the site is prepared for construction.
Despite this week’s refusal by Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) of the next phase of Sir Roger De Haan’s harbour development project, bosses do not expect any changes to the £925,000 agreed for the Leas Lift restoration.
Floortje Hoette, chief executive officer of the CIO, said: “We do not anticipate any change to the funding pledged to the Leas Lift via the section 106 agreement that Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company has in place with the local authority.”
The Leas Lift, built in 1885, is one of only eight water balance lifts in the country. Only three operate using their original system.
The attraction was forced to close in 2017 due to problems with its braking system.
In 2019, Historic England placed it on the ‘heritage at risk’ register.
Folkestone Leas Lift Company secured £4.8m of support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in November 2023, which meant it had reached its overall fundraising target of £6.6m.
Last year, Historic England added an extra £200,000 to its coffers, which will fund work on the sheave wheel, which is vital for raising and lowering passenger cars at the site.
As restoration works get underway, the CIO has appointed Yaz Norris as its community engagement manager.
Bosses say this will ensure residents are kept informed as the works progress.
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