A run-down industrial area will be transformed into a major asset for Sussex.

Shoreham Harbour will become a leading centre for homes, leisure and business as a result of a multi-million pound redevelopment.

Adur councillors approved a draft plan setting out a vision of how the harbour will change during the next 20 years.

The plan will form the basis for public consultation meetings and exhibitions to be held in September, giving the public the chance to have their say.

Under the scheme, seven high profile focus points would be created along the northern section of the harbour which will be known as Shoreham Waterside North.

All would be visible to traffic on the A259 coast road, making it clear to drivers they are entering the new multi-million pound development.

Some, like Ropetackle, the Norfolk Bridge and the footbridge from Shoreham Beach to the town centre, which already exist, would be redeveloped or enhanced.

New projects would include a footbridge linking Kingston Beach and Shoreham Beach, and the creation of Port Shoreham and a Media Village with new "gateways" for pedestrians and cars.

Up to 1,500 full-time jobs would be created in the first ten-year phase of the harbour's regeneration. But the long-term future of the scheme over the following ten years would depend on innovative improvements to the harbour's roads and transport systems.

These could include a £50 million tunnel linking it with the A27 Brighton by-pass at Hangleton, and a new cross-harbour bridge and relief road.

The overall plan, known as Shoreham Maritime, will see the harbour transformed into a high quality waterside development with a thriving port at its heart.

It would also include a mix of new homes, businesses and leisure facilities which would include outdoor restaurants, shops and cinemas.

To make way for redevelopment, existing industries on port land would be relocated and centralised.