A post by Michael Stewart
Protecting the Views from the Leas: A Call for a Mid-Slope Management Strategy
The Leas is not just a promenade — it is a historic landscape, designed in the 19th century as a place where residents and visitors alike could enjoy unrivalled sea views, open skies, and the invigorating health benefits of fresh coastal air. The views from the Leas are not incidental: they are its defining feature, the very reason it was created.
Over recent decades, unchecked growth on the mid-slope has increasingly obscured those views. What was once an uninterrupted vista of sea and horizon has become, in places, a wall of vegetation. Without a clear mid-slope management strategy, the Leas risks losing the very quality that makes it unique.
This is not a call to strip away biodiversity. The ecological value of the slopes is real and should be safeguarded. But heritage and ecology can — and must — coexist. Sensitive management, including selective clearance and view-corridor maintenance, would protect wildlife habitats while restoring and preserving the views that are central to the Leas’ historic and cultural identity.
The case for action rests on three pillars:
Heritage: The Leas was designed as a viewing promenade. To allow its views to vanish under unmanaged growth is to lose the integrity of its original vision. Historic England and heritage bodies consistently affirm the importance of protecting designed landscapes and their intended vistas.
Community: The views are a vital amenity for residents and visitors. They contribute to wellbeing, tourism, and local pride. Protecting them ensures future generations can enjoy the same experience that has inspired people for over a century.
Balance: A mid-slope strategy need not compromise ecology. Many councils across the UK manage “view corridors” within naturalised landscapes, ensuring a balance between biodiversity and cultural heritage. Folkestone can follow this example.
We urge the Council to work with local heritage groups, ecologists, and the community to establish a Mid-Slope Management Strategy for the Leas. This should include:
Identifying and preserving key view corridors.
Scheduling regular maintenance to prevent regrowth from obscuring views.
Integrating ecological protection with heritage restoration.
The Leas belong to everyone. To lose its views is to lose part of Folkestone’s identity. Now is the time to act — to respect its heritage, to protect its ecology, and to restore the vistas that have always defined it.
Join our Facebook Group below
https://www.facebook.com/groups/746105824775303
Sign our petition below