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An urban design guru and one of the key thinkers behind Ashford's new-look Elwick Road has been in the town to reassure worried residents that the controversial scheme is safe.

Ben Hamilton Baille, who is based in Bristol, visited Ashford on Thursday to give a talk about the benefits of the concept of “Shared Space” - where road signs and signals are removed allowing pedestrians and traffic to mix.

Mr Hamilton Baille said: “The more you remove the signs, road markings, barriers and bollards, the slower traffic moves and the slower traffic moves the safer people and drivers become.”

Ashford is the first town in the country to adopt such a large scale “Shared Space” scheme of this type, but a similar idea adopted in London has proved a success.

“When Kensington High Street removed all the guard railing and 70 per cent of their signs a lot of people had the same concerns, but in fact pedestrian injuries have dropped by about 65 per cent,” said Mr Hamilton Baille.

Road bosses are promising Elwick Road will be finished next month. Richard Stubbings, head of regeneration at Kent County Council, said: “That will allow the run up to the Christmas trade so it will be very much open for business as usual in Ashford.”

For more on this story, see next week's Kentish Express