A £50,000 contract is on offer to the firm that can help redesign a former Debenhams store ahead of its re-development.

Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) is searching for an architect to aid in the next step of the £2.3 million Folca project – the new name for the ex-department shop.

An advert on the government’s contract finder website asks for designs that are ”practical and cost-effective in bringing this building back to life”.

“It is imperative that the designs created as part of this commission are realised now to prevent any abortive works during the phase 1 - remedial and refurbishment work stage and also provide a credible proposal for the future design and use of the building.” the listing adds.

This comes three months after work first began to remove asbestos from the site in Sandgate Road, as plans to overhaul the venue emerged.

The revitalised building will be split into two parts: the Edwardian part of the site in Bouverie Place and the 'Art Deco' section in Sandgate Road.

The section fronting Sandgate Road has been earmarked for a variety of different uses, including retail, leisure and businesses - as well as owners FHDC’s potential new offices.

The section of the building facing Bouverie Place is set for demolition to make way for a new health centre.

Plans for the local authority to move from its current base at the Civic Centre, in Castle Hill Avenue, are being considered as part of wider town centre redevelopment plans.

Folca is at the centre of the overhaul of the town centre - with £2,278,000 earmarked for the building’s refurbishment.

In January, FHDC discovered it had been awarded a £19.8 million share of government levelling-up cash to fund its plan - A Brighter Future - to breathe new life into the high street and surrounding area.

The proposals would see the existing bus station in Bouverie Place relocated to make way for a public garden, and Sandgate Road itself would be given a makeover.

Debenhams closed in Folkestone in 2020, with FHDC buying the shop for over £2m a few months later.