A famous Kent artist has put forward plans for a unique and “quirky” seaside home inspired by his work.

But some neighbours are concerned the design proposed by Sam Cox, known as Mr Doodle, incorporating the artwork at the property in Dungeness is out of keeping with the area.

Computer-generated images show it would be surrounded by a rusted metal exterior which will be laser cut with doodles.

Lydd Town Council has objected to the scheme within a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), saying the metal facade would “not be in keeping with the historical value of Dungeness” and could “impact the environmental value of the area”.

It has also raised concerns that wildlife could get stuck in the doodles and that increased visitors to view the house could have a negative impact on traffic.

But architect Guy Hollaway, who designed the home with Mr Doodle, has defended the appearance, saying the doodles are “visually subtle” and that everything has been carefully selected to “merge into the landscape”.

He said: “Dungeness Beach has many rusting metal features which form part of its unique landscape, such as disused train rails and metal structures.

“We're proposing to clad the building in corten steel, which is rusting metal, which will merge into the landscape.

“The doodle apertures are quite small and similar in scale to the corten facade apertures we designed for Pobble House [also in Dungeness].

“We completed Pobble House some 10 years ago and there have not been any problems with wildlife being trapped within the facade. We would, therefore, envisage this facade would perform in the same way and this wouldn't be an issue.”

If approved, the single-storey three-bedroom home would replace a bungalow already on the site and would be built on the same footprint.

Two historic railway carriages are incorporated into the building which will be carefully dismantled and restored by an off-site specialist joiner to their former state.

They will then be put back in their original position where they will be waterproofed, insulated and “clad with a doodle-embossed metal outer skin”.

Lydd Town Council also felt the changes to the carriages would “result in loss of character”, but Mr Hollaway says the upgrades will improve their historical value which is lost in their current form.

“The carriages are currently clad in white timber and completely unrecognisable as carriages, our proposal is to celebrate the form of the carriages by recladding them so you can see their shape and character which is currently completely lost,” he explained.

“We have carefully designed the house to reflect the local vernacular in its form and materiality, the architecture will, as a consequence, merge into the landscape and the surrounding context.

“The doodles are visually subtle and only recognisable when viewed from a close distance.

“This is a home for our clients which will be discreet and will form part of the Dungeness backdrop.”

The larger carriage will be turned into the home’s kitchen to allow for a more functional space while the second carriage will be used as a study.

The proposal also introduces solar panels, hidden behind the mesh facade to maximise solar energy while not impacting the view for neighbouring properties.

An air source heat pump and underfloor heating will also maximise the efficiency of the home.

Mr Cox, a former pupil at Homewood School in Tenterden, currently lives in the town with his son and wife Alena in a home he has covered from top to bottom in black and white doodles.

He bought the 12-room mansion in December 2019 and two months later began renovating it and creating a white space for the canvas. He started his doodling in September 2020.

He is also in the process of building a “Doodle Studio” in the home’s garden, also designed by Mr Hollaway.

Documents submitted to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) by Hollaway Studio says: “The contemporary proposal is in keeping with the quirky and independent character of Dungeness while the freeing of the railway carriages, and chosen material palette, maintain a respect and empathy for the established historical vernacular.”

The fate of the home will be decided this month by FHDC’s planning committee.

The artist, who has more than 3.2 million followers on Instagram, has created the 203-metre doodle in Ashford at the junction of Avenue Jacques Faucheux and Beaver Road and is believed to be one of the world’s longest illustrations.

In the summer, he helped leave a mark for Kent and East Sussex Railway's 50th anniversary when he turned a carriage into a canvas.

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He also created an eye-catching mural on the side of Edinburgh Road car park in Ashford town centre as part of the town’s UNFRAMED project.

The art trail was set up by Ashford Borough Council to improve the look of drab walls across the town centre.