Plans for a congestion charge around a town centre have been blocked.

Maidstone councillors gave the cold shoulder to the idea which was one of three proposals put forward by traffic consultants, Arcadis, as a means to reduce pollution in Upper and Lower Stone Street.

Instead, members of the strategic planning and infrastructure committee instructed officers to see if Kent County Council would support a Red Route along Palace Avenue, Lower and Upper Stone Street, that would prevent vehicles stopping between the hours of 7am and 7pm.

Any such scheme would probably require additional funding from the Government, as it could cost up to £1m, with most of the money going on cameras to enforce the scheme.

Experts said a Red Route would only reduce particle emission by “two or three percent”, but Cllr Brian Clark (Lib Dem) said it would bring other benefits, including faster traffic flows and improved safety.

The good news was that pollution in the area was already falling as vehicle manufacturers brought in safer vehicles.

It had dropped by 19% between 2015 and 2018 and if the current trend continued was expected to reduce to the permitted levels by 2028 even if no action were taken.

Separately Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) successfully proposed that the borough council, a major landowner along the route, investigate the potential for the targeted planting of trees in Upper Stone Street to bring about a long-term benefit to air quality in the area.

The committee further instructed the head of planning, Rob Jarman, to investigate the “Canyon Effect” on air quality along routes with taller buildings, as part of the Local Plan review.

The council’s consultants advised that pollution in Lower Stone Street was aggravated by the “Canyon Effect” of having tall buildings close to the edge of the carriageway that had the effect or preventing pollution from dissipating.

Mr Jarman said he was concerned that the council might have inadvertently aggravated the problem by the recent grant of high rise apartments currently under construction at Wrens Cross.

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