Techfort at the Citadel, Dover
- Capital Investment - Getting Building Fund, Kent & Medway, Less than £2m
Approval Status
Fully Approved
Delivery Status
GBF Project Delivered
Project Completion Date
Winter 2023/24
The project seeks to bring the Casemates at The Citadel into beneficial economic use, helping to stabilise the ancient monument and creating jobs in Dover. The Casemates were previously used by the Ministry of Justice but are currently redundant and need refurbishment before they can be re-occupied. The project specifically seeks to refurbish Casemates 51 and 52, creating 1,012 sqm of space for a recording studio, bar, gallery and market.
The Casemates form part of The Citadel which comprises 33 acres with over 220,000 sqft of existing space formed from several different portions of the Western Heights area, including the Western Outworks to the western side of the site, the Citadel (Western Form) in the centre of the site and a small area of the Fortress Interior to the east of the Gatehouse.
The Getting Building Fund funding is sought to kick-start the development process at The Citadel, with these works representing the first phase of a long-term vision for the site.
At the Accountability Board on 11 February 2022 it was agreed that GBF funding can be retained against the Project beyond 31 March 2022 for a maximum period of 6 months. However, the project is still subject to confirmation of all outstanding consents by 20 May 2022 and Government approval of project inclusion within the GBF programme.
At the file Accountability Board on 25 November 2022 it was agreed that GBF funding ca be retained against the Project for a further maximum period of 3 months (to 31 March 2023).
A further phase of the project and seeks to restore casemates building numbers 53 and 54 into use. This second phase secured £850,000 of GBF funding. Additional information can be found here.
| GBF Outcomes | |
|---|---|
| Re-use of a Citadel Fort as a unique historical asset to deliver local and national economic benefits and acting as a catalyst for the long-term redevelopment. | |
| Jobs created | 17 |
| Learners Assisted | 2,600 |
| Space available for a mix of creative businesses | 1,012 sqm |
| Public access to 5 acres of site |
£85m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock
The Getting Building Fund focuses on projects that can progress quickly and that will stimulate and better integrate economies in some of the most economically impacted and COVID-affected parts of the South East.
£85m of Getting Building Fund investment has been secured, enabling delivery of 45 projects across East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock.