A huge 90-room motel planned for Dover seafront has been given a major overhaul following concerns about its appearance.

It is the second time the design for the hotel for the Western Docks has been altered - with the planned bright colours now being muted.

The motel is part of the ongoing £250 million Dover Western Docks Revival, which includes the new Marina Curve.

A swimming pool and restaurant are also planned for the waterfront.

But despite being given planning permission in 2021, developers for the hotel have submitted a new planning application to Dover District Council (DDC), which has now been approved.

A letter from applicant agents Lewis & Co Planning to DDC said: “The application was approved by the planning committee, but with some members expressing concern about the type of construction and appearance.

“A review of the scheme has resulted in a new construction approach, which allows for some design changes.”

There are no longer bright colours, but the overall scheme of 90 bedrooms on a trio of three- to four-storey blocks remains the same, along with the amount of parking spaces.

This request for changes, described as a variation of condition, was granted by DDC planning officers under delegated powers.

The original version of the scheme, which went before the planning committee in April 2021, was for a motel made from five blocks of shipping containers.

Civic group the Dover Society described the look as more suited to a fully commercial port like Rotterdam, rather than the heritage site and tourist magnet that Dover is.

It also said the planned rooms were too cramped.

Councillors said they too were disappointed with the design and voted to defer a decision on the scheme for the look to be amended.

A revised application came back to the committee in December 2021, when it was finally voted though and the blocks were reduced to three.

The amended plans revealed no shipping containers would be used and the rooms would be bigger.

But still some councillors were concerned about the design.

Cllr Peter Jull said at the time it might end up looking like the bright yellow Astor School building, which can be seen across the Folkestone Road valley in Dover, and which he descried as an “eyesore”.

He said: “I would certainly be very disappointed if it ended up with something like that.

“Overall I’m not over enthused by the design but it is subjective.”

With this third attempt, the Dover Society is still not satisfied, saying: “This amendment to plans does not fundamentally change the scheme and is only a marginal improvement.

“There is nothing here to change our opinion.”

Dover Town Council has consistently supported the scheme, which originates from the Electric Motel Company in Brighton.

It said the plans would create 60 new jobs in Dover and described the motel as “a waterfront destination”.

In December 2021, a joint application for a separate swimming pool, restaurant and bar, was also granted permission.