Bosses have insisted the full benefits of a controversial new traffic scheme and seafront plaza will be seen in the summer months.

Council chiefs say the Herne Bay scheme – which has seen part of the seafront blocked off to create a Spanish-style public square – is still bedding in and has not yet realised its full potential.

Kent County Council’s (KCC) new active travel scheme aims to promote walking and cycling between the town’s railway station and Central Parade.

A raft of measures have been implemented in the town, including one-way systems, 20mph zones and cycle lanes and the plaza project.

A report published ahead of next week’s Joint Transportation Board – formed of both KCC and city council members – gives an update on the project.

The county council’s road safety and active travel group manager Nikola Floodgate states: “Whilst there is a mixed response to the implementation of the active travel scheme, since the level of demand for walking and cycling modes is substantially lower in the winter months we do not expect to fully see the benefits of this project until the warmer months.

“Before any changes to the scheme are considered it is important to let the scheme ‘bed in’ and work closely with the working group to understand the detailed representations from all aspects of the local community.

“We plan to review the working group's findings and any agreed recommendations will be passed to KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport for consideration.”

Residents were consulted on the plans in 2022 and work on the 26-week project started in July.

Feelings are so strong about the controversial one-way system and seafront plaza, a public meeting had to be abandoned earlier this year because too many people turned up.

A larger venue was booked and hundreds of residents piled into the building to air their views.

The execution of the scheme even led to KCC’s transport chief branding it a “dog’s breakfast” and pledging to explore how it could be reversed in comments at the meeting in January.

Responding to Ms Floodgate’s comments ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, cabinet member for highways and transport Cllr Neil Baker said: “Yes, cycling and walking flows will increase but at the same time, that is only one aspect.

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“If a scheme has overall flaws and the basis of those are it is causing problems with traffic, increasing numbers of cycling and walking is a small part of it.”

KCC worked with the city council to put a bid together, for which £600,000 of funding was secured from Active Travel England.

Highways bosses bagged an extra £100,000 specifically for the Central Parade plaza section, while the rest was set aside for the area between the railway station and the seafront, which also includes the extended 20mph zone.

But the funding cannot be used for any other works and KCC says if it decides to remove any elements, it may have to pay back the costs for the scheme to the Department for Transport.

Cllr Baker will be presented with the findings of a working group set up earlier this year and a road safety audit next month, which will both determine how the scheme will progress.

The Conservative says current timescales allow for elements of the scheme to be reverted before the height of summer and “all options are on the table”.

“If I could rip up the plaza and the associated traffic systems without having to pay Active Travel England back, I would have done that already,” Cllr Baker added.

“I do not want to be in a position where we have to start using highway budgets to refund it.”

The city council plans to use the plaza space in Central Parade, between Pier Avenue and Station Road, to host community and charitable events, as well as commercial activities.

Vehicles are no longer able to turn off the high street into Pier Avenue, which has been made one-way in the opposite direction.

Motorists are also only able to travel eastbound along St George’s Terrace, with Dolphin Street restricted to southbound traffic.

Telford Street and Richmond Street - between the high street and Central Parade - have also been made one-way.

A KCC spokesperson said: “We have been aware of the concerns felt by residents in relation to the Herne Bay Active Travel scheme.

“A working group was established, consisting of members of the public and KCC officers and elected members, to understand their concerns around specific elements of the scheme so we can address them where possible.

“The working group will be presenting their findings to KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Neil Baker, in mid-April.”