It was a comment from a KentOnline reader that raised eyebrows last month.

They claimed they had been informed by someone living at Shoreline Crescent, a multi-million-pound block of luxury flats right on the beach in Folkestone, that only two of the homes there had been sold.

Surely this couldn’t be true. If it was, what would it mean for the rest of the seafront masterplan produced by Sir Roger De Haan’s development company?

Up until now, bosses have remained tight-lipped about the number of sales. But last week they invited KentOnline to visit the eye-catching tower block and opened up about the challenges they have been facing.

These include Shoreline’s now infamous whistling balconies, being branded one of the worst-designed buildings of the year by Private Eye and their controversial u-turn on holiday lets.

They also revealed a new hotel could be built as part of the masterplan, along with restaurants and a health club, creating an “urban resort” on the seafront.

Sales figures ‘on target’

So how many of the 64 apartments and 20 townhouses, ranging from £395,000 to almost £3 million, have really sold?

Doug Acton, sales and marketing director at Sir Roger’s Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company (FHSDC), told KentOnline that people have now moved into seven of the homes, while eight more sales are being processed.

That makes 15 out of 84 sold since the first of the properties went on the market almost a year ago.

A cause for concern? Not according to Mr Acton, who insists they are bang on target.

“We had a soft launch last year but we officially launched in April,” he said.

“Having a finished product was the best way to showcase the building in its best light.

“We got people to come in and see the views as opposed to off-plan sales.

“It's been five months. Our pace has been what we wanted. It's about two or three sales a month, which is on target for where we need to be.”

KentOnline previously reported how Shoreline’s £2.8 million penthouse is the most expensive two-bed property for sale in the country, outside of London.

Other two-bed flats are available from £600,000, while beach houses start at £1.25 million. The hefty prices have led to accusations the properties are more for wealthy Londoners, rather than locals struggling to get on the property ladder.

Mr Acton said: “We've had a number of buyers from a whole range of profiles and that's the beauty of Shoreline.

“There's the owner-occupier market, there's the downsizer market, there's also the second home penthouse market, but it's very much a local market with a splash of London.”

No ‘wild parties’ at holiday lets

Previously Sir Roger, one of the UK’s richest people, said the Shoreline properties “won’t be able to be used as Airbnbs at all”.

But KentOnline revealed last month how bosses have backtracked on this, with properties now available for up to £1,050 a night as part of a try-before-you-buy initiative.

Two of the beach houses are being advertised as a “luxurious holiday experience” and a two-bedroom apartment could also soon be added.

The homes being let are not yet sold and are being managed by FHSDC rather than private owners.

But people who do buy a Shoreline property will be allowed to turn them into Airbnbs if they wish, Mr Acton confirmed.

He says the holiday lets have been a “huge success” but insists no “wild parties” will be allowed.

“It gives people a chance to experience Folkestone's coastal living, which is obviously very different to living in a town,” Mr Acton said.

“And then we're getting inquiries off the back of it.

“People say, ‘We've had a weekend here, why don't we buy one permanently?’

“We are rolling it out to the apartments as well but our business model is still to sell them and have owner-occupiers.

“But ultimately, they will be sold in the end. This isn't going to be a rental scheme.”

Mr Acton says the terms of the lease mean bosses can revoke an owner’s right to use their property as a holiday let.

”If there's any antisocial behaviour, or if there's any disruption to our residents, then we will remove your opportunity of actually being able to let them out,” he said.

“The good thing about it all is that we have 24-hour concierge, we have 24-hour security.

“It's not like holiday letting something in Devon - you don't have wild parties going on.

“So it's a nice value to add for people who want to do that, but it's also protecting those that live in here permanently.”

The final whistle?

Some locals previously told KentOnline they have had “sleepless nights” when high-pitched whistling noises sound from the tower block balconies as the wind hits the structure at certain speeds.

An acoustic engineer was hired to try to find out what was causing the issue.

But the biggest problem was getting them on site at the right time as the whistling only happens when a specific set of conditions occur.

A year on since the noise first became a problem, Mr Acton says it will be fixed in the “next few months”.

“On the west side, it's the spindles on three of the balconies that are causing the noise,” he explained.

“Two or three of those spindles that are square need to be changed to circular to stop the whistling - it's the most simple thing.

“You can't hear any of that inside because of the build quality.

“There was an acoustic engineer who came out, identified the three spindles on the three balconies, and it was as simple as that.”

Creating an ‘urban resort’ on the seafront

Ever since work started on Shoreline before the pandemic hit in 2020, it has sparked huge debate in the town.

It was built by Folkestone firm Jenner Contractors, which also constructed Sir Roger’s F51 skate park on the corner of Tontine Street.

Ella Brocklebank, head of communications at Jenner, insists most people have been wowed by the finished product.

“Opposition is something we're used to in construction because no matter where you build, there's always going to be someone who may object to it,” she said.

“But change does have to happen and you just need to build in the best way possible and try to work to benefit a community,

“Everyone's house was a green field once and we've got to build houses to evolve as communities.

“People might say, 'We've lost our beach' but they didn't have a beach before.

“We were building on reclaimed land from the Rotunda [amusement park], which was formerly redundant.

“And with the planned investment in the Leas Lift, it's really reconnecting the town and the beachfront.”

Shoreline is the first phase of an overall masterplan for the town’s coastline, which will eventually see 1,000 homes line the entire beach from the Leas Lift to the harbour arm.

Proposals for tower blocks on the car park of the hugely popular harbour arm have been criticised by locals, who compared the look of them to something out of The Flintstones.

The designs have since been made “simpler and more unified”.

It is not yet clear when construction will start on the next phase, but Mr Acton says a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to make it happen.

“We're going through that process at the moment and one of the things that we're really keen to get right is all the facilities that are coming here,” he said.

"We’re creating this urban resort on the seafront and within that will be a health club, a work-from-home space, restaurants, and potentially another hotel that's well needed in the area.

“To create the masterplan that's going to benefit Folkestone is taking a little bit of time but we are being very thorough.”

There are also plans for the next phase to have a Beach Club, which would be a beach-style restaurant with a workstation so people meet, eat and network.

According to the FHSDC website, the overall development will include 10,000 square metres of commercial space, including leisure and retail.

Beauty in the eye of the beholder

In January, Private Eye branded Shoreline one of the “worst-designed” builds of 2023, but the building has also been praised in the industry.

It has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including Best Commuter Home at the Evening Standard New Home Awards.

Miss Brocklebank says Shoreline has been one of their most intricate and exciting projects yet.

“It's not just a normal tower block - it's very different. There is nothing quite like this that's comparable,” she said.

“This building has got to stand the test of time and it's got to be able to cope with the elements it's exposed to.

“It has a very robust reinforced concrete frame. There are triple-glazed windows.

“You couldn't have just built to a low spec here. It wouldn't have been right to do that because this location justifies that quality of build.

“Designers wanted to echo the surroundings in terms of the pebbles and the waves. It's an incredibly curvy building.

“Architects love curves, but us as builders, not so much, so it was quite a challenge from that perspective.

“But if you just popped a square box here, it wouldn't have done justice to its location.

“You'll get mixed opinions I'm sure, but for us in construction, we've had nothing but positivity and people will literally go out of their way to say ‘I've walked past Shoreline’.”

Such are FHSDC’s efforts to protect the building, they have even brought in hawks to deter seagulls, with many of the homes having rooftop terraces.

A spokesman explained earlier this year: “This is in place to prevent seagulls nesting on the site, at which point they can become territorial, which leads to aggressive and disruptive behaviour.”

While work on the Shoreline building is now complete, construction of a car park for residents opposite the block is set to start in February.

It will take around six months to complete and will include garages for residents and parking spaces for visitors.

It’s clear that those behind the project are proud of their work, despite some local backlash.

Miss Brocklebank added: “The ones who are negative really are in the minority. I think the majority of people can see the benefit this does bring to the town.

“It's a building that really does justice to its location, and I don't think anybody could deny that.”