COUNCIL chiefs at Whitstable have warned that the seaside town risks losing its harbour if development plans don't go ahead.

They insist that unless proposals for the south quay proceed there will not be enough money to maintain the quaysides, which could mean the end of shipping at the port.

Residents showed their opposition to the three short-listed schemes by turning out in their hundreds to a public meeting on Wednesday night organised by campaigners.

Council spokesman Rob Davies told the Whitstable Gazette that the town did not have a choice because the funds from the plans were vital to the harbour.

“The income will go to the harbour accounts,” he said. “It will be used to offset the cost of extensive quay repairs in the future. Although the harbour operating accounts are now in the black, it will have to face substantial capital costs in the near future to maintain and repair the quays and ensure it remains a safe, working harbour.”

He dismissed criticism that the schemes did not meet the original development brief and should therefore be rejected.

“The council does not dictate to developers how they should interpret the brief,” he stressed. “They have the brief and come up with proposals. They do not run them past the council first.”

But Mr Davies did promise that people’s views would be considered. He added: “We’ll wait until the end of the consultation period to see the views of all Whitstable residents,” he said. “It would be wholly wrong to pre-empt the results at this stage.”

A THREE-PAGE SPECIAL REPORT ON THE ISSUE APPEARS IN THIS WEEK'S WHITSTABLE GAZETTE