Hundreds of residents have packed into a public meeting tonight to have their say on a controversial seafront traffic scheme.

The debate has been called amid a huge backlash to a £250,000 project to create a “Spanish-style” plaza along Herne Bay’s Central Parade.

A stretch of the road has been converted into a pedestrianised zone as Kent County Council (KCC) plans to use the space to host community and charitable events, as well as commercial activities.

But it’s meant cars have been prevented from driving along the promenade and locals have railed against a “ridiculous” one-way system which has since been introduced.

Geoff Wimble, life long resident of Herne Bay and former Councillor said he is “totally against” the plans.

“The way they are splitting up the town and ruining accessibility,” said the 78-year-old.

“We want people to come here, not crying just to enter. The council are tinkering with people’s lives.”

In agreement outside the meeting was Vanessa Field, 70, who has lived in the town since 1984.

She told KentOnline: “We’ve already got one plaza and we don’t need another one, certainly not in the middle of the road.”

Speaking ahead of the meeting, local businessman David Cain – of Cain’s Amusements – asked “not if, but when” the whole project will be scrapped.

“Herne Bay has been my family’s home and workplace since 1977 – it’s a special town for residents and visitors,” he said.

“I applaud great ideas and schemes to get more visitors into our town, but this new ‘plaza’ appears to exist solely to fulfil the whimsy of others, having been crowbarred into a cycle scheme that comes with so many unintended consequences, and it’s been embarrassing to watch it happening.

“The cheap-looking plaza area, an overabundance of signage, the awful one-way system, bottlenecks throughout the town, Central Parade cut in two, lorries struggling to turn, I could go on.

“I’m not saying the 20mph scheme or improving cycle routes within the town is a bad thing, just the ill-judged and ill-thought-out way the scheme has been thrust upon the town, leaving us with an unwanted roadblock in the middle of the road.

“My question is not if, but when, the plaza will be removed.

“I understand some people are for and against, but most people I’ve spoken to are against and the turnout for the first public meeting was very telling.”

A previous public meeting scheduled for January 9 at United Reform Church Hall had to be called off after far more people than expected turned up and a long queue began forming along the High Street.

Backers of the plaza say it is not yet finished and in the summer it could boost the town’s economy and footfall on the pier.

But almost 1,500 people have now signed a petition urging KCC, which led the project, to scrap it.

The local authority’s member for highways and transport, Neil Baker, is expected to speak at tonight’s event.

In a statement to KentOnline beforehand, the Herne Bay councillor said KCC was grateful for government funding for schemes aimed at encouraging ‘active travel’ and reduce congestion.

“Wherever the funding comes from, it originates from hard-pressed taxpayers’ pockets and I am certainly not ignorant to the strength of feeling when people feel schemes work against communities, rather than with them, even when there is a genuine attempt to create positive change by increasing transport choices,” said the Tory member.

“We have recently started implementing our latest Active Travel scheme in Herne Bay, which has raised significant concerns from members of the local community.

“Given this, I have asked for a working group to be set up – with local member Dan Watkins chairing and to include local residents and business representatives – to make sure all concerns are addressed directly with the project team.

“I will keep an open mind and continue to listen directly to concerns but am keen that locals get together and have the opportunity to shape things moving forwards.”

The seafront area in question - between the junctions with Pier Avenue and Station Road - has already been resurfaced and is now completely closed to all traffic.

New road markings and signs have also been installed in surrounding streets to accommodate the new one-way system and implementation of a 20mph zone.

As part of the changes, 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.