Frustrated traders say replacing uneven cobbles with black tarmac has not improved the safety of a high street.

Kent County Council has ripped out the stones in Ashford’s town centre in a bid to improve the “look and feel” of the area, as well as “enhancing” safety for pedestrians.

It installed a long strip of tarmac last month – from the junction of North Street to Station Road – but business owners in the Lower High Street say the changes are no improvement

Geoff Mathews, owner of Soundcraft Hi-Fi store, says he is concerned about shoppers’ safety in the area.

“Since the tarmac has been completed, it has become an attractive area for skateboarders and people on electric scooters who whiz through at quite breathtaking speeds,” he said.

“We were worried that Ashford would lose a significant part of its history when the cobbles were removed and that is what has happened.”

The cobbles, which were first laid in 1999, were removed earlier this year as part of a joint project between KCC and Ashford Borough Council (ABC).

The work has cost £600,000 and has included upgrades to the ‘Shared Space’ area on the ring-road.

But Mr Mathews says contractors still need to fix parts of the Lower High Street next to the new tarmac.

“The tarmac is pretty much complete but we feel there are still areas which need attention and it seems the council has not addressed some of these issues properly,” he said.

“It is still difficult for people to safely negotiate with prams and wheelchairs.

“I have been asking for a cone to be put over a black post which has been taken down and is now incredibly sharp.

“It should be very easy to fix but I have had to place a cone over it several times because we have already had a person in a wheelchair trip over it.

“My feeling is this is a job half done.”

In 2012, KCC spent £80,000 upgrading the cobbles in an effort to keep the area looking “rustic”.

Eleven years on, Vernon Seager of Central Ashford Community Forum says the new tarmac now makes the original paving look “shabby”.

“I think especially for people who live and work in the town, there have been concerns over the visual impact of what tarmac would do,” Mr Seager said.

“I think now it is all done, and we can see the effect of it, there is some justification in those original concerns. It clashes really badly with a lot of the architecture over here.

“Some of the old existing paving around here is starting to look a bit shabby compared to all this lovely, modern tarmac.

“I think what they really should have done was to repair the most seriously damaged parts of the cobbles to retain part of the character.

“We now have a total mismatch of surfaces all through the town. It is beginning to look a real muddle and a mess.”

In a statement, a KCC spokesperson said: “The work completed so far within our Ashford Shared Space and Lower High Street refresh means the town centre is now more resistant to damage in the future and more accessible.

“As with any project we are aware of snagging items, such as missing and broken bollards, and we plan to complete these finishing touches in due course.

“This will be completed alongside the ongoing work to the pavement.

“The new concrete drainage channels are the same depth as the previously used granite ones they have replaced.”