MAJOR plans to transform Harwich’s Navyard into a site for hundreds of homes are being unveiled to residents.

A multi-million pound proposal to regenerate the site will be revealed to the pubic in an exhibition next week.

The plans will see the Navyard site turned into space for more than 300 home, employment space, food outlets, and a market square.

A new promenade walk would also be created.

Mann Lines, which currently operates from the site, will be relocating if the proposal is approved by Tendring Council.

Bill Binks, chief executive officer, of Mann Lines, said: “Navyard has served us well for over 50 years but with the nature of the shipping business ever changing its time to relocate locally to enable us to build a stronger business in the future.

“Regeneration of the Navyard site is both an exciting and important opportunity for Harwich.

“With our close association to the town over many decades the views of the community are important to us in helping to shape the future plans for Navyard.”

He added: "There will be a mixture of apartments and houses set out to be built as part of this project.

"If the application is accepted by Tendring Council then we would have to move our ships to another port.

He said that he has been working on this proposal for the past year and the exhibition is part of a pre-application process before the application is submitted to Tendring Council's planning website.

Charlie Powell, Harwich mayor, said he would like to see as many people as possible attend the exhibition to put their views forward on the plans.

He said: "I think Mann Lines has outgrown the actual site as some of the ships are too big for their berths.

"The good thing about the development being built and Mann Lines moving is that no lorries could go through the quay.

"I am all for making the place look better - and we need money put into the area to make that happen.

"It is up to residents to make their own minds up about the plans when they see them."

The public exhibition will be held at the 1912 Centre and Bunkhouse, in Cow Lane on Friday, September 28 from 11am to 7.30pm and Saturday, September 29 from 10am to 4pm.