WHITSTABLE'S planned marina won support from the Chamber of Commerce this week.

Architect Peter Jackson, who is spearheading the scheme, revealed details to business leaders at their meeting on Monday.

About a dozen traders were there to hear the presentation and afterwards they gave it cautious support.

President Mark Woollard said: "It doesn't sound like it will be as big as it looked on the first plans we saw.

"The whole thing will be about the same size as Herne Bay's harbour so it won't be the huge thing some people feared.

"Obviously there is still a lot of work to be done on the proposals but it looks like it could bring people into the town on yachts and they will have to use local shops because they won't have any transport to get to the supermarkets.

"Whitstable is traditionally a fishing town yet at the moment there is nowhere for people to store their boats and the marina would mean they could keep them in the town."

The meeting also discussed the chamber's successful crime prevention evening, which Mr Woollard said went well although it was poorly-supported.

"The chamber is going from strength to strength and we are keen to organise events like this but we really need people to turn out for them," he said.

"We are planning a business exhibition later in the year and I hope people will turn up to that."