Our popular seaside town is being ruined by a newbuild nightmare – posh people are taking over

RESIDENTS say luxury apartments for the rich will wreck their humble seaside town - leaving locals priced out.

Leas Pavilion in Folkestone, Kent, promises 91 elite flats valued from £325,000 to £3 million and is due to be finished next summer.

But residents say that while the nine-storey development will bring cash to the town, it's not an appropriate project for the area.

One long term resident told last year: "There are so many people that need help and affordable housing at the moment.

"In terms of the height, I think it is far too big.

"It is so out of proportion with every other building in the area."

The project began last summer and will offer high-end, modern flats with wraparound glass balconies.

A RightMove listing said the Gustavia development' s £2.995 million penthouse offers "breathtaking" views of the English Channel.

It includes a heated floor and ceramic tile surround bathtub and a “modern smart home system” with a thermostat operated via remote control.

With construction well underway on the site of an old 1902 Edwardian tea room-turned-nightclub, resident Mary Payne said it won't be for "ordinary people".

Speaking to KentOnline this week, she added: “These flats will be for prestige people who have plenty of money.

“I do feel sorry for the existing buildings that surround the new-builds. It’s going to be very high so they might lose their views."

The development is the latest chapter in Folkestone's multi-million pound regeneration.

But the huge investment has triggered a swarm of tourists and second home buyers to the old shipping port, leaving locals irked.

They say the Kent town has become impossible to live in with prices soaring and vast crowds to battle in summer.

A spokesperson for Gustavia said: “Work on the redevelopment of Leas Pavilion is progressing swiftly.

"With the new building starting to take shape and giving Folkestone residents an enticing glimpse of what is to come."