The next stages of a controversial seafront development have been the green light despite contamination concerns and ballooning costs.

Planning approval for the Princes Parade project in Hythe was granted in 2019 and would see 150 houses and a leisure centre built.

Applications to put in storm water drain pipes and an electrical substation had been met with strong opposition by residents believing the contaminated soil would harm wildlife and the sea.

On Tuesday evening Folkestone and Hythe District Council approved the work after a heated debate and strong reactions from the public gallery at the meeting.

While planning officers claimed the drains wouldn’t pollute the sea, the land was used as a tip in the 1960s and 70s having previously been used to extract gravel.

A contamination consultant for the council found asbestos widespread in the soil, with approximately 10% of earth found to contain asbestos fibres, as well as other contaminants.

To limit the impact of contamination the consultant had recommended remediation and that future nearby applications should be able to prove drain water cannot be contaminated.

All this comes after the project’s cost was revealed to have risen by £16.5 million, to a total of £45 million.

At a meeting of the FHDC cabinet last night, where a report updating on progress was received, Cllr Tim Prater railed against the financial burden being put on the local authority.

"I've got a bigger problem with the costs than I did two years ago," he said, "because two years ago you had a basically financially-balanced scheme. Now you don't.

"We've basically got a scheme whereby we're being told we've got to keep going because we're into this now and we can't stop."

He continued: "This was a project which was meant to be financially balanced - give or take a bit - and it really isn't any more. It's a long way from that. It leaves this council in a big hole of debt."

"The drainage scheme will cast dangerous pollutants across the beach and into the sea..."

At the planning meeting the previous evening, one Hythe resident, Mrs St Clare, expressed her concerns at the environmental impact. She asked: “When is it ever acceptable to knowingly harm your residents?

“The levels of contamination found in the Princes Parade landfill pose disastrous health risks to the community.

“This council has failed to appreciate the seriousness and mistakenly believes it can be remediated.

“The drainage scheme will cast dangerous pollutants across the beach and into the sea, it will pose an irretrievable health risk.

“The planning officer is recommending approval for this while claiming there will be no adverse impact in respect of contamination, this is blatantly incorrect.”

When debating the proposals councillors were particularly concerned with contamination of the soil, which could be pumped into the sea via the drain pipes.

Cllr Jackie Meade said: “We are next to an ancient site and an area of outstanding natural beauty, a beach that families use.

“Yet Southern Water was recently demonised for pumping dirty water into the sea, although this is a smaller amount.

“One of the contaminants there has been found to be a danger to aquatic life.

“So not only are we moving badgers and cutting down trees, we are also now looking to pump dangerous chemicals into the sea.”

Another councillor concerned with contamination was Cllr Gary Fuller who feared the legacy of the council was at stake.

“What we are proposing here is to dig into a contaminated site in order to drain off surface water and in doing so we contaminate the water," he said.

“This application will cause contamination to the local area, it’s going to hurt local people, it’s going to hurt local wildlife. It could potentially expose ourselves to legal action.

“I cannot in good conscience vote for it and I’d be amazed if anyone else would, anyone with a trace of empathy for the residents.

“As legacies go it’s not Blair and the Iraq war or Cameron and Brexit but it ain’t great.”

"This application will cause contamination to the local area, it’s going to hurt local people..."

However some councillors were more sympathetic to the Princes Parade project and saw the drainage and substation as necessities.

One of those was Cllr Ann Berry who said the electrical substation was just “built for purpose” and that other developments had been approved with contaminated soil.

She said: “Kingsnorth Gardens was a rubbish dump for years and this council worked on that.

“I don’t know of anybody who’s had any disease or any health issues by working on that land.

“Electrical substations, they are what they are, not very interesting to look at. It’s only going to be built near a car park and there’s no houses around it."

"There’s a lot of sea out there, it’ll get diluted quite quickly..."

Cllr Tony Hills meanwhile understood the concerns of opposing colleagues but stressed that contamination was not a unique issue: “In this country we have a problem with landfill sites particularly through coastal erosion.

“But I’m quite convinced that this has been taken into consideration and no doubt will be dealt with.

“I understand the concern raised about blockages (on drains) but it is a far better concept sweeping it out to the sea rather than the canal.

“There’s a lot of sea out there, it’ll get diluted quite quickly whereas if it was sent to the canal it won’t. So it’s a far better solution.”

The proposals were passed by the planning committee by a close margin on Tuesday, with six councillors voting for and five against.