Kent's first-ever 'Green' council has axed a controversial seafront housing scheme.

The hotly contested Princes Parade project, which would have seen 150 houses and a leisure centre built in Hythe, was “doomed from the start” campaigners said.

Since its inception in 2019, plans to overhaul the former waste disposal site situated a stone’s throw from the sea have been blighted by delays and spiraling costs.

Now, Cllr Jim Martin, the new leader for Folkestone and Hythe District Council, confirmed the project has been thrown out.

“There are a very complex set of obstacles to remove, and this will take some time, but I can state this evening very clearly that Princes Parade is saved,” he told the council’s Annual General Meeting this week.

Referring to the authority’s new cross-party administration, he added: “We have a great deal of agreement between the coalition partners.”

An attempt to overturn the planning bid by judicial review failed in 2020 and costs doubled during 2022, from £2.56 million to almost £5m.

However, in February, a private developer made an offer to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) to purchase the site after the authority announced its intention to dispose of the development, which would have been situated next to the Royal Military Canal.

The former council leader David Monk (Con) said at the time: “I would have loved to have delivered it, at the moment I can’t. This offer gives hope of it being delivered sooner rather than later”.

Chris Farrell, 63, who has been campaigning against the development for several years, this week told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It was truly wonderful to hear Jim Martin say Prince’s Parade is saved.

“It’s shameful that 5m pounds of local people’s money was squandered by the previous Tory administration and the so-called independent councillors on a project that was doomed from the start,” she said.

“I want to see the hoarding removed and the site returned to nature, but unfortunately it will not happen overnight , and we need to be patient whilst the new administration gets to grips with the complex situation at Prince’s Parade.”

Many residents in the district have recently spoken of their joy after hearing the scheme has been stopped.

Donna Marie said on Facebook: “Well done to the people of Hythe and surrounding areas, our voice has been heard!"

Susanna Macaulay added : "Brilliant news, thank you for all your hard work and efforts."

"Well this is quite unbelievable, to think of all the ups and downs and ruling against the will of the people and in the end with a little bit of divine intervention, Princes Parade has been saved."

Stuart Hutchinson said: "Absolutely brilliant news, democracy at work, councillors listening to the electorate. Obviously a number of hurdles to clear but what a victory."

All three main opposition parties’ leaders committed before the elections to “ditching” the seafront development if they achieved power.

Following a tense ballot count it was revealed the Greens would be the largest party with Labour just behind, while the Tories were ejected from control of the authority.

Of the 30-seat council, the Greens won 11 seats, Labour 10, the Conservatives five, Liberal Democrats two, and two independents were elected.

The new administration is now a minority, ran by the Greens and the Lib Dems, with seven cabinet posts for the Greens and two for the Lib Dems - with 13 seats out of 30 total.

It is understood that Labour’s National Executive Committee - which must approve local parties’ coalition deals - stopped the Labour group on FHDC from joining a coalition, as the local Greens were insistent on the inclusion of the Lib Dems.

Labour councillor Abena Akuffo-Kelly was voted in as chair of the council.

Green group leader and Hythe representative Cllr Jim Martin was voted in as leader of the council.

The site is currently surrounded by white hoarding, but development was paused in October last year amid rising costs - which reached almost £5 million in total.

Fellow activist Nicki Stuart said that the Tories’ losses in the most recent election were “completely because of Princes Parade.

“It’s nothing to do with national politics, this is a local issue, and the Greens have been absolutely brilliant at making sure that their main campaign has been about saving Princes Parade.”

She argued that the push for the development under the previous administration “felt like it was led by a few dominant politicians and they weren’t asking the people what they wanted, and the people have shown what they wanted.”

The new administration also committed to replacing the cabinet and leader structure with a committee system by May 2024.

This means that decisions on key policy areas will instead be made by committees politically balanced to reflect the composition of the council, rather than by individual cabinet members responsible for a particular field.

The new Green - Lib Dem coalition cabinet for Folkestone & Hythe District Council is:

Jim Martin (Hythe, Green) - Leader of the council and portfolio holder for Otterpool Park and planning policy

Tim Prater (Sandgate and West Folkestone, Lib Dem) - Deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for finance and governance

Gary Fuller (Sandgate and West Folkestone, Lib Dem) - Cabinet member for resident engagement and accountability

Mike Blakemore (Cheriton, Green) - Cabinet member for community and collaboration

Rebecca Shoob (Cheriton, Green) - Cabinet member for housing and homelessness

Stephen Scoffham (North Downs East, Green) - Cabinet member for climate change

James Butcher (North Downs East, Green) - Cabinet member for regulatory services, building control, and civic duty

Rich Holgate (Hythe, Green) - Cabinet member for place plan, heritage, tourism and district economy

Jeremy Speakman (Hythe Rural, Green) - Cabinet member for assets and operations