A South East town is set to get its own dedicated newspaper with a regional publisher set to launch a new paid-for weekly next week.

The KM Group will print the Folkestone & Hythe Express from Wednesday with a cover price of 65p.

The Kent-based group’s previous Folkestone paper was an edition of the Kentish Express, which primarily serves the Ashford area of Kent.

The new title will be accompanied by a new Folkestone and Hythe Express section on Kent Online as well as having new Facebook and Twitter pages.

The promotional wrap for the Folkestone & Hythe Express

Kentish Express editor Robert Barman says the edition will have a lower cover price and smaller pagination than the parent paper, which is priced at £1.10, but will be entirely local content serving Folkestone.

“We’re firm believers that well-targeted, paid-for newspapers will continue to play an important part in our future,” he told HTFP.

“While this is a remodelling of our existing titles, it demonstrates our belief that there is a hunger for ultra-local news.

“We’re firm believers in multimedia – in our addition to our print products, there is a dedicated Folkestone website – www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone – and our kmfm radio station broadcasting to the Folkestone area from its Shepway transmitter.”

The new paper follows the launch of KM Group’s last stand-alone newspaper, the Sittingbourne News Extra, which was launched in December 2011 and now sells around 5,000 copies a week.

“We’re launching this in the week we publish our ‘First Class’ supplements across the group, which will see dozens of Folkestone schools selling the newspaper,” added Robert.

Robert said the newspaper will also include lots of fresh content and columns, some of which will actively target the growing creative and digital industries in Folkestone.

The launch edition will also feature ‘First Class’ a special supplement featuring hundreds of local children in their first week at secondary school.