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Completion date announced for abandoned Herne Bay Court Christian camp development

A £21 million transformation of an abandoned Christian holiday camp is set to be completed next year.

Work on turning the sprawling and once-thriving Herne Bay Court complex into a care home complete with its own restaurant and bungalows is currently taking place.

Work has already started at Herne Bay Court. Picture: McGroff
Work has already started at Herne Bay Court. Picture: McGroff
The site of the old Christian holiday camp in Herne Bay
The site of the old Christian holiday camp in Herne Bay

The four-acre site off Parsonage Road previously hosted tens of thousands of guests across 60 years.

Shut down in 2008, it became a hotspot for illicit parties and vandalism, as teens climbed over low walls and gaps in fences.

The scheme will see a striking mansion on the site turned into a care home and 49 bungalows added to the plot.

Contractor McGroff has announced that completion of the nursing facility is scheduled for August 2025.

It will be a ‘new generation’ 67-bed site, operated by New Care.

What the new care home at the former Herne Bay Court Christian camp could look likePicture: McGroff Group
What the new care home at the former Herne Bay Court Christian camp could look likePicture: McGroff Group
Diggers have rolled in at Herne Bay Court. Picture: McGroff
Diggers have rolled in at Herne Bay Court. Picture: McGroff

The one-storey homes are set to be finished the following month.

Group managing director at McGoff Dean Johnston said: “We are well aware that this particular site has a rich history and has very much been a central part of Herne Bay.

“As such, we are absolutely committed to delivering a stunning mixed-used development that locals will be proud of and will continue to play an integral part of the community.”

Approximately 100 jobs will be created by the care home once it is open and fully operational.

All bungalows will be sold privately and aimed at those over 55.

Herne Bay Court in Canterbury Road shut down in 2008
Herne Bay Court in Canterbury Road shut down in 2008
What the Herne Bay Court development could look like. Picture: McGroff Group
What the Herne Bay Court development could look like. Picture: McGroff Group

The main mansion will be partially demolished and extended.

Permission was given for the development in December 2022 after planning officers urged councillors to approve it.

First known as Parsonage House, the site was built in 1896. It was later home to an engineering college before being occupied by a succession of military units during the Second World War.

Shortly after changing hands in 1948, the plot was turned into the religious conference and holiday centre, known as Herne Bay Court Christian Centre.

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