It is feared the Prince of Wales Pier could be out of bounds to the public indefinitely after Dover gets its new Western Docks cargo terminal.

The Port of Dover has already announced that work will start early next year, which includes alterations to its height.

The Grade II listed pier will be closed until at least spring 2017, when the revamped docks, costing £120 million, are set to reopen.

But Labour district councillor John Heron said he was led to believe the port may “land-grab” the pier, meaning that it will not be accessible to the public at all.

He said that the port had given “little or no consultation with the wider community” over these plans, which he feels are constantly changing behind closed doors.

Cllr Heron, of Cowgate Hill, said: “In the document it stated a vision that would give access to the pier.

“I was told that plans had changed and that they were looking at taking the whole pier.

“We can’t have this happen without someone saying something. We deserve to be told exactly what is going on.”

'We deserve to be told exactly what is going on.' - Cllr Heron

Cllr Heron, who used to work at the docks, is a father-of-two and said the pier is full of good memories for him and other long-term residents.

He said: “I’ve been going there with my children since they were old enough to walk.

“In the future, if the pier was to become totally out of bounds and I, with my fellow Dovorians, wished to look back on the panoramic beauty of the town, we would have to use a boat.

“Dover Harbour Board, please consult, engage and ask, do not disregard and distance, and do not take all of our pier.”

A port spokesman said: “We have previously talked publicly about the need to restrict public access to parts of the port, including the Prince of Wales Pier, and we are still aiming to provide pier access in the future once the area is developed and operational.

“Following several years of detailed consultation with our stakeholders such as local authorities and heritage groups as well as the general public, which included the issue of public access, the port received government approval in 2012 to develop the Western Docks.

“As every illustration we have ever presented has shown, the area occupied by the pier falls within the new development, part of which is the operational area for the new cargo terminal, and part of which falls within the major waterfront transformation area.

'This development is seen as the catalyst for Dover’s regeneration.' - Port of Dover

“This development is seen as the catalyst for Dover’s regeneration.

“We have been listening to our community and they want 600 new quality jobs for Dover and a transformed waterfront that will kickstart Dover’s wider regeneration.

“Without doing the work required to the pier, which falls within the construction site, the project simply cannot be delivered.”