Long-term ambitions to revamp a seaside town - described as being neglected for decades and looking like its stuck in the 1980s - have been given a “fresh start”.

It comes amid comments about “how little work” producers for the ITV drama Joan - set in Herne Bay during the period - would have needed to do given its current appearance.

Scenes for the show which hit TV screens this month were shot there last year featuring Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.

But a new taskforce has now been set up to ensure the revival of the town’s seafront continues following several hold ups - with £10m of investment already being pumped into the town and further planned key projects set to demand more cash.

Money from Canterbury City Council (CCC) and other public bodies has already been spent or allocated with the authority now agreeing its plan to progress improvements and secure investment.

At the council’s cabinet meeting on Monday night, two new working groups were proposed to continue the commitment to revamping the town.

Councillors discussed how to make the town a better place for all residents and not just for tourists.

Reculver ward’s Cllr Rachel Carnac (Con) said: “Just this afternoon, I received a message from a gentleman worried that the scaffolding covering the bandstand was still in place with no work being undertaken.

“He, like so many of us, is concerned that the iconic seafront in Herne Bay is being left to rot and fall apart.

“Despite all our efforts to regenerate Herne Bay, project after project has stalled or failed to take off.

“In recent times, the pandemic has stopped some projects with a fresh limit on capital borrowing while also not getting Levelling Up funding, which was a huge disappointment for all of us.

“This motion was an attempt to get Herne Bay back on the map to make regeneration of the coastal strip a priority for the council.

“Let's hope this is a fresh start for Herne Bay to work with the council on the town's priorities.

“We can no longer allow council-owned assets on our seafront to be left to decline and not generate revenue for the council.”

Cllr Alex Ricketts (Lib Dem) added: “I was delighted to catch up with the ITV drama Joan. It is nice to see one of our coastal towns receive a big network audience for a drama.

“What struck me was how wonderful it looked, but what also struck me was how little work the production crew had to do to make it look like a 1980s location. That’s how badly Herne Bay has been neglected over the last couple of decades.

“I think this report is a fantastic place to start and Cllr Carnac’s point that tourism isn't the only game in town is right and it's good to see some moves in this report - it’s not just about a cosmetic brush-up in hopes it will attract the Victorian hordes that deserted it a long time ago.

“It feels to me like there is a lot of spirit and energy in Herne Bay, a lot of locals that want to do things and our role as the council is to try and support them and bring them together and if they can form something similar to the Whitstable Harbour Board themselves, then that is something we should support them doing.

“I hope this will be the start, build momentum for Herne Bay, and put it back on the map where it belongs.”

A report produced before the meeting revealed where money has already been spent in the Heron ward - the area covering the seafront and town centre.

The redevelopment of Beach Street - set to be worth £9 million when completed - is included in the ongoing works.

The area will be transformed into 33 homes and three shops.

Earlier this year, CCC secured £554,000 from the Brownfield Land Release Fund, which enabled the first part of demolition work to be completed after initially being scheduled for last spring.

Three of the five structures on the road were demolished, with survey work ongoing before the second phase can begin.

A decision about how the construction project and next steps will be funded and timescales have not yet been confirmed.

After the fate of the derelict half of the Edwardian house on Central Parade in Herne Bay is confirmed, councillors will consider one of three options.

These include the city council joining with a development partner and taking on the scheme or selling the land to a developer.

No timescale has been set for when a decision will be made and the budget has not yet been set.

The council purchased the former Tivoli Amusements building - which will be knocked down as part of a second demolition phase - for £1.1m six years ago.

It is hoped the land will be released for housing by March next year.

A £300,000 project to repair Herne Bay Pier’s substructure has also been allocated with work set to occur later in the current financial year.

Additional repairs to the timber deck and hand railings have already been completed.

The council has not yet confirmed the nature of the work required or specific timescales.

Meanwhile, restoration work at the bandstand has progressed with structural surveys so far costing £27,665.

Residents previously raised concerns over whether the landmark, which celebrated its centenary this year, would last another 100 years.

Now that the assessments have been completed, a cost estimate of £40,000 is also proposed to get the vacant unit, which has remained dormant for at least the last four years, back to a lettable standard.

A full report revealing the cost of works to the substructure is expected at the end of this month, which, once completed, will allow the stage to be reopened.

A budget for the works and funding sources will be decided once the substructure report has been completed.

However, the cabinet report states: “Initial feedback suggests that works will be extensive, and costs will be high.”

The district was awarded £1.2m as part of the government-funded UK Shared Prosperity Fund with £250,000 of that spent in Herne Bay on bandstand works.

Separate funding for £360,000 will replace the existing glazing panels and make other external repairs.

Coast protection works are in the pipeline as the council looks to improve the Herne Bay Breakwater, build new timber groynes, and replenish the beach.

These will require a new application to the Environment Agency (EA) for funding and is set to cost more than £8 million.

Remedial work such as weeding and correcting the hands of the Clock Tower and specialist maintenance to ensure it was operational also took place for £4,000.

Progress on other council projects was also revealed in the cabinet report - including 44 ornate lanterns placed along the seafront to improve the area’s night-time feel of the area for £54,000.

Beach management works to reinstate and regrade the beaches continue to be undertaken annually for £18,000.

A new submission is currently in the works to apply to the Environment Agency for £435,000 in funding.

This is earmarked for a new rear seawall and floodgate improvements east of the Neptune Car Park.

The new plan has been devised following setbacks to fund improvements for the town including a £13m bid to the Levelling Up fund being snubbed.

It halted several projects the council had planned prompting the new approach.

At the meeting, councillors backed the report, wanting a unified approach to the restoration of Herne Bay.

A working group will be set up, including multiple political parties from the council, to work with locals to move the town forward under the banner of a “visitor economy”.

Another internal officer working group will also be established to review the next steps for the Bandstand, Clock Tower and King’s Hall.

It will also examine new long-term strategies for the council’s assets in the town and prepare for new funding opportunities.

The proposals will be presented to the full council on October 24.