Plans have surfaced for the permanent closure of a main beachfront road... within one month of a council introducing ticket machines there.

A public consultation is under way to sound out the public mood over plans to close Princes Parade road to pave the way for 150 new homes and leisure centre.

The Department for Transport this month announced proposals to ‘stop up’ the road and move it adjacent to the Royal Military Canal.

'Stopping up' means once the order is made an area of land will cease to be a vehicle thoroughfare.

Made under the Town and Country Planning Act, the orders are typically carried out when a road becomes redundant or to make way for development.

The proposal forms part of Folkestone and Hythe District Council’s wider (FHDC) plans to build a leisure centre, 150 homes, retail space and parkland on the former landfill site.

And re-routing the existing road from the seafront will create "an enhanced pedestrian and cycle route" and serve as "an additional buffer" from the Royal Military Canal, the council says.

The work will only go ahead if FHDC approves its own planning application for the development, a Secretary of State public notice says.

“The Secretary of State gives notice of the proposal to make an Order under section 247 of the above Act to authorise the stopping up of an irregular shaped area of highway as leads off Princes Parade and the diversion of a length of Princes

“If made, the order would authorise the stopping up only to enable development to be carried out should planning permission be granted by FHDC.”

The order comes after the district council introduced parking charges on Princes Parade.

Initially the parking meters were built landside.

But due to public backlash over safety they were moved to the beach-side, costing the taxpayer £10,000.

An FHDC spokesman said: “Diversion of part of the road will provide an extended and enhanced public promenade and has always been in the development plans.

“It will also slow down traffic currently using Princes Parade as a ‘cut-through’ to the town.

“The planning application is due to be considered, so it is too early to say if and when the road would be diverted.

“The ‘stopping up’ application is routine preparation should the plans be approved.

“Only part of Princes Parade is being diverted, and if planning permission is granted, parking charges will continue to apply on other parts.”

Copies of the recent order and current plans will be available for inspection at Hythe Town Council in Slade Street.

Objections for the proposed order must be made by midnight on June 7 by emailing nationalcasework@dft.gsi.gov.uk or National Transport.

Alternatively residents can write to Casework Team, Tyneside House, Skinnerburn Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 7AR.

All correspondence should be received by midnight on June 7 and include reference NATTRAN/SE/S247/3254.