A rebel Conservative councillor has been suspended after stating the party will lose power in Canterbury because of a "bonkers" traffic zone plan.

Cllr Colin Spooner spoke out to slam the leadership over the radical proposal, which would see the city divided into five separate areas and residents banned from driving directly between them.

Having told The Telegraph that council leader Ben Fitter-Harding had "lost the plot", he reiterated the criticism to KentOnline, saying the scheme would have a major impact on the party at May's local elections.

But Cllr Fitter-Harding has since moved to suspend Cllr Spooner, stating: "It is with much regret that this morning, following the publication of an article in The Telegraph, I have taken the decision to suspend Cllr. Spooner from the Conservative Group for 21 days pending further investigation."

The leader highlighted two statements attributed to Cllr Spooner, who was quoted in the Telegraph as saying: “It’s a crazy idea – the leader, who has lost the plot, in my view, is trying to implement something that the Belgian city of Ghent has, but Canterbury is nothing like Ghent, nobody wants this.

“In implementing this, it’s committing political disarray and the Conservatives will not control Canterbury after May. My belief is that the Conservatives from top to bottom – from central government down to local government – are absolutely ruined.”

Cllr Fitter-Harding added in an email to party councillors: "I would like to stress that it is not Cllr Spooner's concerns about the Canterbury Circulation Plan that give me cause for concern, but his comments regarding the national party, local party and myself.

"In accordance with the Rules for Conservative Council Groups I will investigate this matter and, if necessary, call an extraordinary Group meeting to present my findings for your consideration."

Speaking to KentOnline, Cllr Spooner said the move to suspend him was "petty" and stated he had now officially resigned from the party and the Conservative group in Canterbury.

"It's absolutely a petty move," he said. "I know I attacked him as a person but that's my democratic right. I can do that. I'm not afraid to stand by my values.

"I just said he's lost the plot; that's nothing more than what Labour and Lib Dems have said before.

"He and I have never seen eye to eye but that's another story. I think it's petty and immature to suspend an eight-year councillor who's served as Lord Mayor and district sheriff."

Cllr Spooner said he would serve the rest of his term as an independent councillor and stand as an independent for Seasalter in May.

Earlier he had repeated his criticism of the leader, stating: "He's got delusions of I don't know what. When we went to council with this bonkers system, I voted for consultation. All the backlash shows it's quite evident people think it's a crazy system. I thought it was crazy, but you've got to leave it to the residents."

Under the planned scheme – modelled on a system in the Belgian city of Ghent – residents will face fines enforced using number-plate recognition cameras if they break the authority's proposed rules.

"If people want to go from Westgate to New Dover Road for example, they have to go in a great big circle," Cllr Spooner said.

"I'm all for tackling climate change – I drive an electric vehicle – but I don't think this does tackle climate change. It's making people drive further."

"It will have a dramatic effect on people's lives. If they're visiting friends or relations, or if they're on the school run, they've got to travel further. The residents think it's a bonkers system, it's pretty obvious."

The scheme would impose fines on motorists travelling between zones, with those behind the plan hoping it will solve Canterbury's long-lasting issue of city-centre gridlock.

But opponents, including councillors from opposition parties and Tory rebels, believe it would simply make life difficult for residents.

And Cllr Spooner says he expects residents to make their feelings known in May's local elections, adding: "I will not be standing as a Conservative in May - a lot of people understand that – because of everything Ben Fitter-Harding has destroyed.

"A lady yesterday asked me what's going on and I said it's not coming until 2045, and I won't be here then.

"I'll be pushing up daisies, but at the moment I'm there for the residents I support, and I hope they take my side when I stand in May."

Cllr Spooner does not yet want to declare whether he will be representing a different party or standing independently, but says the outlook is grim for the Conservatives.

He added: "You've got to look at the bigger picture, which you see on [KentOnline's] posts and in national newspapers – the Conservatives are sitting on their hands with reference to strikes and other issues, and that is filtering down to the electorate around the country.

"Let's not underestimate the electorate; they're not fickle people, but they are being hit by rising fuel costs and everything.

"It's going to affect the May elections – whether that will be a lack of residents turning up to vote I don't know, but it might have the reverse effect and people will turn up because they want to replace an unsatisfactory ruling body.

"I speak as a former Lord Mayor – my heart has always been for the district and I'm very sad to see what's happening with the district. It's going to cost the Conservatives Canterbury."

Fellow Tory councillor Ashley Clark - who sits on the authority's cabinet but also won't stand for the party in May - echoed Cllr Spooner's concerns in an interview with The Telegraph.

Branding the plan a “utopian dream” and “a little bit too radical”, he said: "“I think it’s going to have a telling effect (in the election), certainly in Canterbury. I haven’t met many individuals who are in favour of it.”

Prior to suspending Cllr Spooner, council leader Ben Fitter-Harding accused opponents of slamming the scheme only for political gain, and said they lacked any positive ideas for improving the city.

"I and all councillors share the concerns of residents and businesses about how a Canterbury Circulation Plan would work in practice," he said.

"That's why it's an idea mooted for over 15 years time, after the completion of a new alternative road network and extensive consultation.

"The proposed bypass is very popular on the doorstep, with residents tired of congestion getting in and out of the city..."

"The completion of that much needed infrastructure may remove the need for a Canterbury Circulation Plan altogether, or else make what's needed be far more light-touch.

"Canterbury is a beautiful medieval city with very specific challenges, and as a council we owe it to those we represent to be having this discussion early so that their thoughts and ideas can become part of the solution.

"What we all want is shorter journeys, less congestion and better public transport, and I know that together we can achieve this.

"I know that our voters can see through the political point scoring and are grateful to be part of the debate.

"The proposed bypass is very popular on the doorstep, with residents tired of congestion getting in and out of the city.

"The other parties are fighting against this, wanting to keep our city hobbled for what they see as a short term chance at electoral gain - yet they have no ideas themselves.

"The Conservative candidates standing in the next election are out there right now asking for people's views so that they can represent them after the election, they're the only ones listening to what residents actually want."

Other vocal critics of the scheme have included former MEP and media personality Nigel Farage and Spectator columnist Rod Liddle.

The former described the proposal as a form of "climate change lockdown".