Part of Sheerness High Street is likely to be closed for up to three weeks this year while road resurfacing work is carried out.

Traders are currently being consulted about how best to manage possible inconvenience caused by the proposal to remove block paving and replace it with tarmac in the eastern part of the road from the clock tower to Millennium Way.

Cllr Steve Worrall, who has raised issues of subsidence and inadequate drainage at local engagement forums, toured the area with an engineer from Kent Highways, which will fund the scheme.

He said he did not know the full cost of the scheme because there were different aspects of it, such as the drainage problems and work on the traffic calmers, but said tarmac would be cheaper and a better long term option.

“If we go for blocks again we will still get some problems later on because of the subsidence so we have gone for the option of taking the blocks up and red tarmacing it as it can be easily maintained,” he said.

“It does mean that part of the High Street will be closed for two to three weeks while this work is carried out.

“We are in the consultation stage at the moment and I’m hopeful it will go through and then it should be all systems go to get our High Street back so people can walk about without getting their clothes ruined by spray from puddles.”