Exciting new images showing how an historic cliff-side lift could be transformed and expanded have been revealed.

The run-down Leas Lift in Folkestone has been closed since 2017 but will be brought back to life after a series of expensive repairs and renovations.

As well as fixing the lift and improving the waiting room, the plan is to create a new building to house a modern cafe with an outdoor terrace.

An exhibition detailing the 100-plus-year history of the rare and Grade II-listed lift will also be installed.

The plans to fix the lift have been in the making for years, but have today taken a step further after being unveiled at a consultation being held in the town.

They come from the Folkestone Leas Lift Company (FLLC), which was set up as a community interest company (CIC) and achieved charitable status this year.

Funding has so far come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, S106 contributions and other donations. But more will need to be raised before a further £3.5m lottery funding can be applied for.

The funicular railway, which connects the town to the seafront, was built in 1885 and is one of only eight water balance lifts in the country, of which only three operate using their original system.

Since closing in 2017, due to a safety issue with its brakes, it has further degraded and in 2019 was placed on the heritage at-risk register by Historic England.

The plans put forward will see the lift repaired and made workable again, while the tracks and lift cars will also be maintained.

Access will also be upgraded, making it accessible for all.

Visitor facilities, such as the waiting room and ticket office, will be made over, while a glass window will be installed, allowing visitors the opportunity to view inside the pump room and its machinery and equipment.

A statement from FLLC explains: "Repair works are essential to the longevity of the Leas Lift.

"Extreme care is to be taken in choosing the most appropriate materials and methods respecting the historic fabric.

"This will include re-pointing of the brick cavity walls that suffer from decay, repairing coverings and finials on the roof, replacing missing tiles, clearing out blocked gutters and downpipes, repainting joinery where needed and investigating window frames that have experienced water ingress and are rotting.

"These works are essential to avoid the risk of any further deterioration or structural damage."

Permanent displays will be added within the existing waiting rooms to tell the story of the lift - its history, architecture and its engineering.

A new building will be created as part of the scheme, on the opposite side to the pump room extension.

The addition will "harmoniously match" the original building and its materiality.

The existing cafe, which will move from its current location in the lower station to the new extension, is anticipated to provide 34 internal covers, bar stools as well as 18 external seats on a brand new terrace.

An external ramp will be incorporated to ensure the cafe (as well as the historic building) can be accessed by all members of the community. An accessible toilet will also be provided.

And it isn't just the lower site which will be renovated, the top of the lifts will also receive attention.

Planners say: "There is a true opportunity to bring back the atmosphere of the upper site with enhancements to the public realm and new landscaped interventions.

"The design proposals for the upper site include: improved access into both lifts via the integration of a ramp, new landscaped area providing stepped seating and a kiosk, and more education and engagement opportunities by safely revealing elements of the engineering, particularly the sheave wheel."

If all goes to plan, construction could start in 2023, and it could open by 2025.

The consultation is open again tomorrow (Saturday) from 11am to 2pm at the Urban Room, in Harbour Street.