What We’re Proposing
Should planning permission be approved, M&S has been confirmed as an intended occupier of the former homebase unit located at Park Farm Retail Park, Folkestone.
The store will deliver the very best of M&S Food in a modern, energy-efficient and attractively landscaped setting, ensuring a long-term commitment to serving local residents and supporting Folkestone’s economy.
Key Features:
A brand-new fresh market-style 19,000 sq ft M&S Food, offering the full product range of M&S Food including Remarksable Value, Bigger Pack Better Value, Nutrient Dense and Only...Ingredients.
Over 200 parking spaces including Blue Badge, EV charging points and parent-and-child spaces.
In-store click & collect point, for easy collection of online fashion, home and beauty orders.
Creation of over 50 new local jobs, as well as supporting construction and supply chain roles.
Sustainability First
The new store will be expertly designed to reduce energy use. It will be fitted with energy-efficient lighting and support M&S’s Plan A commitments to become a net zero business by 2040.
Key sustainability features include:
Reuse and refurbishment of the existing building
EV charging infrastructure
Energy-efficient lighting and services
Use of energy management systems
Improved waste management and recycling facilities
Accessible by foot, cycle and public transport
Easy to Access, Easy to Shop
The site is located at Park Fam Retail Park, Park Farm Road, Folkestone, a well-connected and accessible location. It offers convenient access for residents of Folkestone and the surrounding area, with good connections to local bus routes and pedestrian pathways. If approved, the new Foodhall would be easy to reach whether you’re arriving by car, bus, bike or on foot.
The wider site will include over 200 parking spaces for customers, with accessible bays and electric vehicle charging points. Improved pedestrian routes through the site would strengthen links to nearby footpaths, while new cycle parking will support more sustainable ways for customers to travel.
Boost For Local Employment
The new M&S Foodhall in Folkestone would create over 50 new local jobs, delivering high-quality retail roles. M&S is known for providing high-quality employment, offering dedicated staff training, career development opportunities and fair pay, helping colleagues build long-term careers close to home.
Beyond the store itself, the project would support additional jobs during construction and throughout the local supply chain. By working with local contractors and specialists wherever possible, we want to contribute to Kent’s economy from the outset and ensure the benefits of investment are felt across the wider area.
Marks & Start - M&S’ employability programme, delivered in partnership with The King’s Trust, supports people who face barriers to employment by providing work placements, skills training and routes into permanent retail roles. Over 30,000 people in the UK offered employment experience and training via the Marks & Start employment scheme, including 800 in the South East. .
Community Benefits
M&S is proud to support British farming through long-standing relationships with over 9,500 Select Farm partners across the UK, including over 200 farms based across the South East.
The proposed new store in Folkestone would further strengthen M&S’s commitment to regional sourcing, helping to bring high-quality, locally and regionally produced food to customers while supporting jobs across the wider Kent economy. M&S currently supports over 1,300 local supplier jobs within the south-east Kent region including at businesses such as Bakkavor Salads (Tilmanstone) and Artisan Du Chocolate (Ashford).
M&S also supports charities such as Not Just Any Career, YoungMinds, Bowel Cancer UK, as well as community groups through programmes including Neighbourly and Marks & Start