The skyline of a well-visited Kent town is set to change as the next stage of a multi-million pound harbour development plan is revealed.

Huge tower blocks filled with 600 homes are destined for Folkestone’s harbour, which has undergone a huge transformation in recent years.

In addition to the new homes, 10,000 sqm of leisure, hospitality and retail space is planned, as well as public realms.

New images have been released to show how the development will look once complete, with the homes set to fill space currently used as a car park for the popular Harbour Arm, and close to the existing viaduct over the harbour.

The scheme is the final stage of developer Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company’s masterplan for the town’s coastline.

In total, they are planning 1,000 homes for the seafront, with work on some having already started.

The firm has invested millions to completely overhaul the area, which has included renovating the arm, Harbour Station and surrounding walkways.

Restaurants, food and drink trucks, mini golf, a champagne bar, vintage market and an outdoor cinema screen are already installed on the Harbour Arm, with millions of people visiting each year.

But now, the site is earmarked for further development.

Paulo Kingston-Correia, general manager at Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company, said: “The Harbour plan is the culmination of more than a decade of the company’s commitment to transforming the area and making it a place where people want to visit, live and work, overlooking the English Channel.

“The proposals celebrate the past by placing the railway station and harbour arm at their heart.”

Areas such as Beachside, Harbourside and the Goods Yard - which host different food outlets on and around the arm - are also due to be updated.

Mr Kingston-Correia added: “Our current commercial use has informed our future which will see the creation of new versions of Beachside and Harbourside and the recreation of the Goods Yard concept as a key space, as well as introducing new concepts to Folkestone.

“As the harbour owners, we do not want to lose the unique trading environment we have created during the building phase so as much as possible of what we have already created will be relocated during the construction phase to other parts of the site.

“We will find creative solutions and will collaborate with our traders to do so.

“The plans, which will be the subject of a planning application later this this year, also include how we propose to meet the challenge of public and resident parking in the area.”

The overall masterplan for Folkestone seaside was granted outline planning consent in 2015 to deliver up to 1,000 new homes.

Work is already well advanced on the first new homes west of the harbour, with flats at the Shoreline development going up for sale last month.

More restaurants are also being added to the area this summer. One of those - an Argentine steakhouse called Portenio - opened late last month and is based in an upcycled shipping container.

A public consultation is being held on the latest stage of the plans.

The public and local businesses are urged to visit the two-day exhibition between 11am - 7pm on Friday, May 12, and 10am - 6pm on Saturday, May13 at Customs House, Folkestone Harbour.

A further public exhibition will be held in July with submission of the detailed planning application to Folkestone & Hythe District Council expected to happen in the autumn.