Signs proclaiming Sittingbourne a “Heritage Town” could soon get the go ahead.

The proposed installations are part of a £35,000 clean up of the High Street which includes painting of benches, streetlights and bins and the removal of “unnecessary bollards”.

The planned standout improvement is the erection of three signs in and around the town centre, which read: “Welcome to Sittingbourne – Heritage Town”.

Kent County Council, which is part-funding the makeover, gave its blessing to the wording, but a member at local level reportedly questioned the use of “heritage” in relation to Sittingbourne.

A spokesman for Swale said it supported the signage, adding: “It’s being called a heritage site as it has been deemed a conservation area by English Heritage.

“Sittingbourne itself goes back to Saxon times.”

The spokesman said a decision on the signs will be made after a consultation period ends on Monday, September 22.

Cllr Mike Baldock (UKIP), who along with fellow KCC members Cllr Roger Truelove (Lab) and Cllr Lee Burgess (UKIP), donated money from a shared highways fund towards the clean-up project, said: “I very much welcome this recognition of Sittingbourne as a heritage town.

“There’s much in the town centre to be proud of and I believe our heritage is something we can further enhance.”