Drivers have been spotted tearing along a road next to a play area at speeds of up to 60mph.

Fears were raised people could be seriously hurt or killed over the “consistently high speeds” during discussions about a proposed new housing development in Folkestone.

Parish councillor Simon Horton said West Road - which runs through the new-build estate and links Sandgate and Cheriton - has a “proven speed problem”.

Sandgate Parish Council (SPC) objected to an application for the latest phase of the sprawling Shorncliffe Heights development comprising 48 new homes.

West Road borders the land and SPC is demanding traffic calming measures be introduced.

He said: “We have a pretty active Speedwatch group in Sandgate and I managed to get hold of the year's data.

“The record speed break in Sandgate happened on the West Road.

“It consistently has the highest speeds being recorded in Sandgate.

“I happened to be there on the occasion when they recorded the highest speed, which was almost 60mph.

“That took place immediately adjacent to a new play park. I'm concerned about danger to people, ultimately deaths on the road.

“There is a proven speed problem in West Road. We're also seeing it in North Road.”

He also raised the concern of tall new builds in the area overshadowing and blocking out the view of heritage buildings on the site.

He said: “You can only lose it once because once something is built that is going to hide it, it's gone forever. “

Cllr Horton had been speaking during Tuesday night’s planning and licensing committee meeting for Folkestone and Hythe District Council on Tuesday night.

The committee still voted through the reserved matters application by five to two.

Cllr Clive Goddard (Con) told the meeting: “I don't like to disagree with the Sandgate councillor but I think this is one of the best designs and building lines I've seen for a very long time.

“Taylor Wimpey [the developers] have done a lot of work in that area as we all know and I think they're continuing to do a lot of good work with this latest project.

“I do think this is a tidy development, quality design, quality buildings.”

The construction will be on a former Army barracks.

The 48 units will form part of the 1,200 homes currently being built by Taylor Wimpey which received outline planning permission in 2015.

The latest 3.8-acre proposal has been earmarked for a plot at the southernmost point of the former garrison and forms part of the old Burgoyne Barracks off West Road.

The scheme has proved divisive, amid its location surrounding the Grade II-listed Racquet Court and The Water Tower - with the former being constructed between 1867 and 1873 by the Royal Engineers.

It is also close to the early 20th-century Sir John Moore Library - which itself has recently been sold and plans revealed to convert it into a four-bedroom home.

Taylor Wimpey’s new homes would see a mix of two-bedroom and three-bedroom properties, with five having four bedrooms.

The application includes 113 parking spaces and plans for a new square and dedicated pedestrian cycle and footpath connections.

Taylor Wimpey acquired the former military base land from the Ministry of Defence in 2015.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

In 2020, the government started using nearby Napier Barracks to house asylum-seekers, which continues to this day.

Although the government has permission to occupy the North Road site until September 2026, it plans to leave next March to allow house-building work to start.