A busy roundabout is set to be renamed and upgraded with sculptures depicting First World War soldiers placed on it.

The so-called Kingsnorth Turbo roundabout, which joins the A2042 with Bad Münstereifel Road and Malcolm Sargent Road, will be re-branded as Flanders roundabout next year.

To continue the commemoration of the First World War, silhouettes currently placed in the Memorial Gardens will be transferred to the junction.

Cllr Paul Bartlett, chairman of the Ashford Borough Council’s joint transportation board, said: “I think it will be a terrific thing because we will be putting them on an important gateway site which people will see as they approach the town.

“It’s really important that we commemorate the end of the First World War and I think it’s a great plan.

“It’ll be equivalent to the Drovers roundabout, just with less traffic.”

Alongside the redesign, safety improvements will be carried out and the council hopes traffic lights will also be installed on the roundabout.

At the latest joint transportation board meeting, a council report suggested the work could reduce the number of crashes by 45%.

Cllr Bartlett said: “It has experienced increased traffic to the point that work needs to be done.

“This is an interim scheme as, in the fullness of time, developments along Bad Münstereifel Road, Finberry and Kingsnorth Green will contribute to that and this is our first stab at increasing capacity.

“What with all the work being done on Junction 10a, it needs to be carefully timed to avoid total gridlock.”

A safety audit is currently underway before the improvements and redesign take place next year.

The sculptures were installed in the Memorial Gardens in June for the photographic event called Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace.