Horrified residents say the “hideous" designs for a multi-million pound seafront development look like something out of The Flintstones.

The tower blocks that could be raised as part of the transformation of Folkestone harbour have also been described as “heroically ugly” – and compared to doner kebabs and even piles of poo.

The new images were released yesterday by the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company (FHSDC), which is led by philanthropist Sir Roger De Haan.

The company wants to build 600 homes, along with retail and leisure facilities, in the harbour area of the town.

But the design of the buildings has drawn the ire of residents commenting on social media and on KentOnline.

The appearance of ‘The Lookout’ blocks particularly drew criticism, with a number of people describing them as “something out of the Flintstones”.

“Welcome to bedrock,” one KentOnline reader said, with another adding: “Yabba dabba doo!”

A third went as far as to describe the overall aesthetic of the buildings as “heroically ugly”.

“The architect seems to have studied both Antoni Gaudi and Friedensreich Hundertwasser, while somehow managing to learn nothing from either,” they added.

Other unfavourable comparisons made online have so far included giant Jenga, termite mounds, wasp nests and even piles of poo.

The designs were revealed as FHSDC launches a new consultation into the scheme, which is the final stage of its masterplan for the town’s coastline.

They show how the towers would be built on the site of the current harbour arm car park, which is often completely full due to the attraction’s popularity.

It is not just people commenting on KentOnline’s story who have been left disappointed by the designs.

Instagram account Folkestoneisbeautiful, which has previously posted in support of FHSDC’s Shoreline Crescent flats along the coast, said: “So far I really like the various ‘plots’ or beachfront buildings as there is clearly a synergy with the design as it progresses with a lightness of design.

“The initial artist renderings of the harbour conveyed a similar sentiment. However, now this design feels visually heavy, bulky, unfriendly, confrontational with very little design language or connection between buildings.

“It’s a shame to see such beautiful considered architecture along the beach to be bookended by a group of unrelated masses, shapes and colours.”

Meanwhile, Folkestone resident Georgina Baker, who has started a petition to “block the blocks”, described the designs as “monstrous”.

“I have been to both previous consultations and I feel like I am saying the same thing again – beyond the sheer scale of the buildings and the shadows they will throw into the harbour, there is absolutely no flow to the designs,” she told KentOnline.

“Why are all of the buildings so incredibly different? One looks like a bongo drum and another like a hornet’s nest!

“There’s absolutely no flow and none of them go with the harbour aesthetically.”

Mark Hourahane, vice chair of the New Folkestone Society, described the concepts as “alien to Folkestone”.

“People are now waking up to the true scale of the development, with the first plot nearing completion and new artist's impressions showing what this phase could look like,” he added.

“Many are worried it is overbearing, with the highest points potentially being over 40 metres high. While we are keeping an open mind until we see the exhibition, the design, form and colour of the artist's impressions are quite alien to Folkestone.

“Along with the high price-tag on the flats, this creates a psychological barrier – effectively a gated community – that serves to separate the haves and have nots.”

However, some have reacted positively to the development, with Anthony Gledhill saying: “I love all big ideas, do something new and big… let's get rid of all the old farts that want it to be the same.”

Given the strong opposition so far to the look of the blocks, KentOnline asked FHSDC whether it would consider a significant redesign.

Commenting on the reaction, general manager Paulo Kingston-Correia said: “We are undertaking a thorough public consultation on the proposals, and we would urge people to come and visit us at Customs House at Folkestone Harbour this Friday and Saturday to see the exhibition of the harbour plan. It will be an opportunity to meet the project team, ask questions and to formally give feedback.

“If people can’t attend the exhibition, they can provide feedback via the website which provides detailed information about the harbour plan at www.folkestoneharbourplan.info.”

Outline planning permission for FHSDC’s masterplan – which stretches between the Leas Lift in the west to the lighthouse in the east – was granted in 2015 for between 720 and 1,000 new homes, plus 10,000 sq m of leisure, hospitality and retail space.

The first stage was the construction of the Shoreline Crescent flats on the seafront. They have now been built, featuring townhouses that start at £1.8m and could go as high as £3 million for a penthouse suite. People are expected to start moving in around August.

Sir Roger De Haan revealed that any prospective buyers will be banned from turning the properties into Airbnbs, which had been a major concern of locals. But he admitted that even the lowest priced of the 84 new-builds – at £430,000 – will likely be too expensive for most Folkestone residents.

FHSDC is now presenting its detailed proposals for the harbour area, where the homes are expected to be more affordable.

Concerns have also been raised about the loss of parking spaces for the harbour arm, visited by two million people every year.

According to FHSDC’s website, “a basement is to be constructed across the entire site for the purpose of car parking”.

It says: “The exact numbers of spaces are yet to be determined. However, we are aware of local opinions in relation to ensuring sufficient parking is provided for both residents and for visitors to the seafront.

“During construction, parking on the harbour will need to be relocated. We are still working on our phasing of the construction programme for the harbour plan, but we will seek to retain as much of the existing car park capacity as possible during the early construction phases.”

It adds: “Although beyond the scope of the harbour plan consultation, the company is considering the opportunity to build a multi-storey car park on land close to the harbour which could meet the needs of a large proportion of the public parking required by visitors.”