Architects behind a controversial development of 150 new homes say they received a mixed reaction when their plans went on public display for the first time.

Hollaway Studio and the developer Sunningdale House Developments held a two-day exhibition of their proposal for the coastal Princes Parade site at the town hall in Hythe.

Guy Hollaway, the head of the firm drawing up the designs for the scheme, admitted reaction to the plans was mixed - but he says the sessions harvested important feedback which will now be incorporated into the final design.

Among the ideas he is keen to include are dedicated facilities for sea swimmers and other beach users, the incorporation of memorial benches already in place, and the construction of dedicated cycle paths on the expanded promenade.

People living near the site, which includes part of a former council waste dump, fought a long and vocal campaign against the redevelopment of the land, which has been pursued by Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC).

But Mr Hollaway - whose practice is behind local landmarks such as Rocksalt and the F51 skate park in Folkestone - insists he will work with the community to deliver a development that works for everyone.

"Whenever you do public consultations you never quite know where these things are going to go," he said.

"But I would say that I've come away with a much better understanding of the site, a much better understanding about what will make this stretch of beach and promenade work better for the community, and I feel very confident that we will be able to deliver on all of those requests.

"So personally, I'm really grateful to the community for showing up and engaging with the process, even if they fundamentally don't like the scheme, but still coming along and helping us to make this scheme better. I personally want to thank them for that."

More than 600 people attended the engagement event at the town hall on May 30-31.

According to the organisers, 22% of people who completed feedback forms were strongly in favour of the plans, while 34% remain firmly against. However the remaining respondents expressed constructive feedback which can now be fed back into the planning of the development.

All the homes on the site will have sea views, with a range of properties from flats to town houses.

Design will lean heavily on environmentally-friendly technology, including solar panels and heat pumps, to reduce impact on the environment and keep future running costs down.

The intention is also to have a range of food and drink businesses on the site, providing options not only for future residents but also people using the stretch of beach at the front of the development.

"We understand that there's a lot of emotion around this project," Mr Hollaway said.

"Let's together make the best project we possibly can here, and let's see how we can create something that we can be truly proud of."