Striking new images have been released revealing the vast scale of a proposed multi-million pound seafront development.

Folkestone’s harbour could be completely transformed – with 600 homes built, along with retail and leisure facilities.

The pictures show how huge tower blocks could be built on the site of the current harbour arm car park, which is often completely full due to the attraction’s popularity.

A new consultation is being held into the scheme, which is the final stage of the masterplan for the town’s coastline put forward by developer Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company (FHSDC) – led by philanthropist Sir Roger De Haan.

Outline planning permission for the 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.

FHSDC is now presenting its detailed proposals for the harbour area.

According to FHSDC, the development will support 700 jobs on site and contribute approximately £17.3m a year to the local economy.

An early look at the plans was offered at an initial consultation in May, leading a number of residents to raise concerns over the look and scale of the development.

Some told KentOnline they feared the landscape of the town would be “changed forever”, while others highlighted potential issues over 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.”

One of the new images also offers a glimpse at the completion of seafront flats along the coast away from the Harbour Arm.

The luxury Shoreline Crescent development – which features townhouses that start at £1.8m and could go as high as £3 million for a penthouse suite – has been built over the past two years, with people 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.

Commenting on the latest look at the FHDSC plans, general manager Paulo Kingston-Correia said: “The outline planning permission already covers the heights, size and mass of the buildings at the harbour and along Marine Parade.

“The council originally gave consent for the development of 585,000 cubic-metres under the previous Terry Farrell-designed masterplan in 2015.

“Our plans are considerably less than approved, and the latest designs for the harbour are only 335,650 cubic-metres, only 57% of the permitted development, and offer greater public access and open space.”

Following the upcoming consulation, the firm will submit a detailed planning application seeking permission for the streetscape, design of the buildings, their colour and materials, and how the space operates as a place to live, work and visit.

The submission will include detailed reports on the environmental performance of the buildings, flood risk, as well as water and waste management, and wind studies.

The two-day exhibition is open between noon and 6pm on Friday, and from 11am to 5pm on Saturday, at Customs House in Folkestone Harbour.

Mr Kingston-Correia added: “The success of the harbour arm shows there is a genuine love for the place. We will be working closely with our successful traders to make sure they can continue to operate throughout the build while the project is delivered in phases.

“The heritage of the harbour, its railway station and harbour arm, remain at the heart of our plans. We are confident that by retaining what has made the Goods Yard, Beachside and Harbourside so popular as an all-year-round place to visit, we will help sustain Folkestone.”