A report criticising the controversial Ashford shared space scheme is due to be presented to councillors next week.

Kent County Council commissioned the report in April - appointing independent consultants Amey to “identify the issues contributing to the defects” of the work in Bank Street.

The Bank Street/Elwick Road scheme, opened in 2008 and costing nearly £16m, combines pedestrian and vehicle access.

But five years on there are cracks in hundreds of the paving stones, which are also heavily stained.

The Ashford Joint Transportation Board will consider Amey’s hard-hitting report at a meeting next Tuesday evening.

The report identifies a number of areas "where assumptions were made that with hindsight may be considered optimistic or have proved incorrect.”

But it maintains the decisions were “not made arbitrarily” and “engineering of the pavement was conducted with professional care”.

Sally Starley, who runs Tiny Tots - a shop located in one of the most damaged areas - said: "They just fill any damage with Tarmac, which doesn’t look good.”

Full story in this week's Kentish Express.