Councillors have given a landslide vote in favour of plans to transform the harbour and seafront of Folkestone.

A total of 37 Shepway members voted for the multi-million pound scheme, none voted against and only one abstained.

Cllr Richard Pascoe, who proposed a motion to give outline planning permission, said: "It can only bring benefit to the town. This is too good to let go."

Cllr David Wimble said: "We would be really stupid not to back something that is going to put so much into Folkestone.

"I cannot see anything negative about this at all."

Council deputy leader Rory Love said: "I would not hesitate to support this. I hope we can move rapidly towards this development of the town."

The comprehensive scheme, by businessman Roger De Haan's Folkestone Harbour Company, includes providing 1,000 houses, sea and beach sports centres, restaurants, shops and heritage areas.

It will be developed over 20 years from 2015 in a scheme expected to add up to hundreds of millions of pounds.

It would return life to the deserted Rotunda area of the seafront and provide substitute development in the harbour area now that hopes of returning a ferry service to the town have virtually disappeared.

The last service ended in 1999 following crushing competition from the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover. Attempts to revive a service since have been unsuccessful.

Councillors met and debated for two-and-a-half hours during an extraordinary meeting at the Civic Centre in Folkestone.

The one abstainer, Cllr Peter Monk, raised concerns about the extra traffic being generated, especially using the narrow Road of Remembrance . This is a key route between the development area and the cliftop town centre and M20.

He said "I feel I may be the lone voice in the wilderness. But The Road of Remembrance may have 2,000 traffic movements every day."

Cllr Paul Marsh had also raised concerns for pedestrians on the road.Only one side of it has a footpath, which is narrow.

He said he wished the project well, but was also concerned about flooding for new homes on the seafront, including during rough winter weather.

"It can only bring benefit to the town. This is too good to let go" - Councillor Richard Pascoe

He added: "This isn't Miami seafront. Those houses will get quite a battering during the off-season."

The plans provide for natural flood defences through shingle dunes. Some members also raise concerns about the height of the buildings.

The tallest two would be 12 storeys, some would be nine, but most would
be one to five.

Council leader David Monk said that as this was still an outline application there was time to deal with concerns as the planning process continued.

He said: "Folkestone is becoming a place to come to and a place to invest."