Two re-purposed shipping containers will provide a perfect marine and industrial-style setting for a new seafood restaurant overlooking a harbour, says the company behind the project.

Its vision is to put the units on top of each other on the South Quay at Whitstable.

The site is a former engine shed once used by the historic Crab and Winkle Line railway but removed in 2009. The area is now leased to the Whitstable Oyster Company by Whitstable Harbour Board.

The planning application submitted by the company is nearly identical to one it lodged in 2017 which was approved but lapsed before being implemented.

Boss James Green blamed the delay on Covid and the lockdown which has put the hospitality industry on the back foot and delayed the start of the project.

"Despite the difficult conditions, the company remains committed to the project and looks forward to delivering an enhanced service on the site as soon as possible," he said.

"The expansion will require a further substantial investment, which underlines both the company’s commitment to the town, the oyster industry and to providing jobs, but also the confidence that Whitstable will continue to prosper as the situation eases.

"The new premises will be open all year round providing an attraction and jobs in the harbour area throughout the year.

"It will provide an asset to the town, whilst reflecting the harbour’s commercial history."

Whitstable is hugely popular with visitors and hosts the annual Oyster Festival. It also has a growing reputation for its restaurants.

In the application, architects Lee Evans Partnership say the latest scheme still meets Whitstable Harbour Board's vision to improve the location and facilities while maintaining the desire for it to remain a working harbour.

The shipping containers will replace existing temporary structures on the site and the new restaurant will also have outside seating areas offering "panoramic views of the harbour".

"It will provide an asset to the town, whilst reflecting the harbour’s commercial history."

The architects add: "The Local Plan recognises the importance of tourism to Whitstable and it is submitted that the restaurant use – focussing on fish, shellfish and, in particular, oysters – will not only create new employment within the restaurant but also indirectly by helping to maintain fishing from Whitstable Harbour."

They say the proposed building has been designed to reflect the industrial character of the area and provide a new focal point with an active frontage to the Quayside through the outdoor seating areas.

"Taking account of the industrial nature of the site and the ever-growing need for sustainable buildings, it is proposed to use recycled shipping containers which have been successfully re-used elsewhere for a variety of purposes," they add.

The application is expected to be considered favourably, given the approval granted to the first near identical scheme.

It is also supported by thinking and policies around the future of the harbour in the Local Plan.

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