Kent-based GSE Group has consulted with the local community on its plans to develop new leisure facilities at Hythe Imperial Hotel, transform a golf course, improve public access and deliver much-needed new homes for the next generation, all of which will deliver ‘more for Hythe’.
Following a public exhibition and online consultation, with residents asked to share their views on the Imperial Gardens proposals for the 40-acre Hythe Golf Club and adjacent four-star hotel overlooking the English Channel, Ashford-based GSE Group has made a number of key changes to the proposals, which the developer suggests are ‘more for Hythe’.
Hythe Town Council and many residents raised the issue of the proposed swimming pool’s length in the leisure centre. GSE Group, owner of the hotel and golf course, has agreed to increase the length of the new indoor swimming pool from 20 to 25 metres to increase its capacity and functionality. The pool and the town’s first purpose-built gym will be open to local residents, schools and youth groups, as well as the hotel’s guests.
The proposed increase in the size of the Hythe Imperial swimming pool coincides with recent uncertainty over the future of Hythe Swimming Pool and the £6m budget to repurpose it.
During the consultation, Hythe Civic Society, local residents and other stakeholders also raised concerns about the appearance of the proposed extensions to the Hythe Imperial Hotel. GSE Group worked closely with Hythe-based architects Hollaway Studio to amend the exterior design and draw from the distinctive architectural character of the area, including the hotel’s own rich history.
Unlike the earlier proposals in 2023, the latest scheme proposes keeping Princes Parade open to traffic. Seven out of 10 respondents welcomed GSE’s plans to keep Princes Parade open, rather than ‘relocate Princes Parade and provide pedestrian access to the promenade and beach’, as set out in the 2023 proposals.
More than half of respondents also saw improving road safety as important, and GSE has incorporated plans to make that happen. Further traffic-calming measures include improvements to pedestrian and cycling facilities, with safer pedestrian crossings proposed. Reducing the Princes Parade speed limit to 30mph close to the site has been incorporated as a result of the engagement with the local community.
The proposals for the Hythe Imperial present a building that now responds sensitively to its coastal setting and townscape while creating a well-considered environment for future users, including a new outdoor pool, spa and serviced apartments, as well as new bedrooms on the west wing. The east wing proposals would deliver the new leisure centre and gym for hotel guests and local residents.
During the public exhibition in November 2025, the project team welcomed 465 residents and had many great conversations about what GSE Group is looking to deliver for Hythe.
Darrell Healey, Chairman of GSE Group, said: “We have listened to the community and our proposals now offer even ‘more for Hythe’. Our plans have evolved from the previous tourism-led scheme to now focusing on the combination of a new extended leisure offering across multiple sports and activities, 297 much-needed new homes and greater public and visotor access that will deliver major benefits for the local community and economy.”
Eighty per cent of respondents felt protecting the Royal Military Canal, which runs adjacent to the site, was the most important aspect of the plans. The scheme now includes a substantial buffer and removes motor vehicles from its edge. GSE Group will also provide a public footpath with seating and a heritage trail on the coastal side of the canal to improve public amenity.
Darrell Healey added: “Half of all respondents felt it was important our plans were delivered at no cost to the public purse. If approved, Hythe will have an enviable list of community benefits, including a purpose-built swimming pool and gym, a best-in-class public pay-to-play nine-hole par-3 golf course and clubhouse, adventure golf and practice facilities, public toilets, and traffic calming safety improvements to Princes Parade. It will re-energise this stretch of the seafront, without calling on any funding from the local council to deliver it.
“While there was a degree of concern over the amount of housing and its proximity to existing homes, well over 50 per cent of the site remains as open space and significantly improves biodiversity. We will increase public access, including the proposed parkland and play areas adjacent to the residential development, and better connect the town to the promenade through a public footpath.”
The planning application has been lodged with the council and is awaiting validation, after which it will appear on the planning portal. Details of the proposals can be found at www.imperialgardens-hythe.co.uk.
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