Work on a huge coastal tower block of 91 luxury flats has been “progressing at a slower pace”, bosses admit.

Some of the hired equipment has been removed from the site at the Leas Pavilion in Folkestone.

Construction has been paused while a new sprinkler tank is installed in the basement of the building.

Eventually, the site will be home to plush sea-view apartments looming over The Leas – ranging in price from £325,000 for the smallest one-bedroom flats to £3 million for the significantly larger penthouses.

Work is not set to continue on the upper floors until the designs for the sprinkler tank are “finalised and put in place”.

Groundworks and the erection of two towering stair cores have been completed for the project on the cliff-top promenade.

The long-anticipated development has been sold as the best hope for preserving the Grade II-listed building, which was originally built in 1902 as an Edwardian tea room and was later home to the popular Leas Club nightspot.

Developers for the site, Gustavia, say the installation of the sprinkler tank is of “utmost priority”.

A spokesperson said: “Refurbishment work at Leas Pavilion has been progressing at a slower pace because of the requirement to install an additional sprinkler tank.

“Resident safety is of our utmost priority, and the sprinkler tank and sprinkler system will ensure occupant safety in the unlikely event of fire.

“By having its own sprinkler tank installed, the building will be self-sufficient and not reliant on the local water supply, which is subject to changes in pressure.

“Some hired equipment has been removed from site whilst the work has paused to avoid any unnecessary hire costs.”

Items of equipment were removed from the site in October, which overlooks the English Channel, as they are no longer required following the completion of the groundworks.

Gustavia says work continued off-site, including the construction of the new building’s structural frame and the cleaning and repair of around 2,400 blocks which make up the original building’s distinctive terracotta façade.

In December, campaign group Friends of the Leas Pavilion (FLP) confirmed work on the site had “recommenced” following the stoppage on site for about a month due to “administrative matters”.

Over the decades, the Leas Pavilion was also home for repertory theatre, with its last ever performance taking place in August 1985.

It then became the Leas Club, a bar with pool and snooker tables, and even a small ten-pin bowling alley.

Tasked with turning this vision into a reality is the team at architects Hollaway Studio, which is behind many Folkestone projects such as the harbourside Rocksalt restaurant and the F51 skate park.

Residents of the new development - which will feature a gym, car parking and a concierge service - will be able to use the communal space on days when it is not booked out for use by the community.