Saga – Keep Doing!

The Saga Company has strong links to Folkestone.  Sidney De Haan started offering affordable holidays for retired people from his hotel, The Rhodesia, on Clifton Crescent in the early 1950s.  Since then, the company has grown to become a FTSE 250 business employing over 4000 people across the UK.  The Head Office is based in Sandgate, and since the pandemic, people’s work patterns have changed, and although it remains offices for SAGA, there is space to provide for the community also, and so a new vision for the building is being proposed.

A public consultation is being launched and held on Monday 13th July from 4pm to 7pm in the Main Reception of the Enbrook Park site.  This event will provide an opportunity for the public to view new proposals, ask questions and share their feedback.  Since the vision was announced in May, there has been a lot of feedback from local councillors, community leaders and residents, and people are able to comment via the SAGA Enbrook Park website.

Mike Hazell, the CEO of Saga PLC said of the plan to return to work at Enbrook Park: “The return to Enbrook Park was not just about offices for our colleagues.  It was about ensuring the site remains a thriving part of Saga and the local community.  However, in order for the site to make long-term sense, we can’t run it in the same way we did in the past.  Our business is different now, and the way people work has also changed.  We will therefore need to ensure we set the site up in a sustainable way that makes sense for SAGA, our colleagues and the wider community.”

Restoration of the pavilion

Central to the vision is the restoration of The Pavilion, a former dining and childcare facility, into a flexible space for employees, local organisations and community events. Mike Hazell continues: “We’re hoping that once renovated The Pavilion will play a meaningful role in community life here in Sandgate.  Our vision is to create a welcoming, accessible space that brings people together, celebrates the park’s heritage and reflects our renewed commitment to Folkestone.

“To fund our plans for The Pavilion and support the ongoing maintenance of the site, we will need to explore some residential development in under-utilised parts of the estate to the east, albeit representing only a small proportion of the overall area. Our intention will be to respect the beautiful character of the wider site, while creating a sustainable and long-term home for Saga and our colleagues.”

a centre for the community

“We want Enbrook Park to be a vibrant part of Sandgate, retaining part of the site for local use, and bringing sustainable wealth and employment back to the area. In support of this, we want to jointly shape our development plans with local community input, recognising the important role the site plays in their daily lives.”

The public consultation is open on Monday 13th July from 4pm to 7pm at the Main Reception of the Enbrook Park site in Sandgate.  Members of the public are invited to attend to find out more about the proposals and to give their feedback to help shape the plans for the future.

Mike Hazell understands the value the site has to the local community:  “As we celebrate our 75 Year Anniversary, we are proud to be back in Enbrook Park and excited at the opportunity to breathe new life into a landmark building, creating a fantastic new asset that can be shared with the community.  In doing so we would be securing our long-term commitment to the area in a way that benefits both the company and the local communities we support.”