Lynn resident Dr Simon Thurley, who is the chief executive of English Heritage, and Lynn Preservation Trust, are among those who have slammed initial designs, including a nine-storey apartment block reaching to the height of the existing silo, and the retention of the grain lift tower.

Hertfordshire-based developers Inner Circle Group's plans 85 apartments and a 54-bedroom hotel served by 73 parking spaces.

A Lynn Preservation Trust spokesman told the Lynn News: "It's too tall and too bulky and in their present form the designs do no sit comfortably with the nearby historic buildings. This is a very important site and it needs a very high-quality design. We are also concerned with the small number of parking spaces."

Vice-chairman of Lynn Preservation Trust, David Woodcock, made his views clear in a letter to the Lynn News, published on Friday.

"The centre of Lynn is dominated by two and three-storey buildings with pitched roofs and yet we see in this proposal a nine-storey edifice with a monopitch roof with balconies for each flat, clearly a building from the Hillington Square school of architecture," he said.

"It was also suggested that retaining the steel gantry would enhance the project. If you believe that you will believe anything."

In another letter, English Heritage's Mr Thurley, who lives in Queen Street, said the "flatpack building" would damage Lynn forever.

South Quay Interest Group member John Walker (79), of Thoresby College, Queen Street, Lynn, agreed, saying his reaction to the design was "absolute horror."

He believes this is the time to take the opportunity to get rid of the silo and lift towers, which he says now stand out like a sore thumb on the skyline.

Sales and marketing manager James Lumley said the firm would be meeting with architects to go over the feedback and hoping to complete a final plan by early next year.

He added: "We have received comments good and bad and will be taking all those on board and trying to come to some happy medium."