A road that was closed as part of an "experiment" was never going to reopen.

That was the stark confession from a Kent County Council highways officer following the conclusion of a consultation on the closure of Cranborne Avenue at the Wheatsheaf Junction in Maidstone.

In March last year, KCC implemented an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order and closed Cranborne Avenue.

The council said it was to test whether, by taking out one phase of the traffic lights at the busy junction, an improvement in traffic flows could be achieved.

The "experiment" was a forerunner of plans for a major redesign of the junction that include demolishing the Wheatsheaf pub to create a larger junction layout.

Alongside the closure, KCC ran a public consultation asking for people's views.

The Maidstone Joint Transport Board heard that in the six months since, the council had received 96 representations, 23 of which were in favour of closure and 73 against.

Highway project manager Barry Stiff said the objections had mostly been about the impact on roads in the immediate vicinity of Cranborne Avenue.

Cllr Susan Grigg (Ind) observed how permanent no-entry signs had already been installed at the entrance to Cranborne Avenue.

She said: "It's very hard to explain to residents that a road has been temporarily shut to be assessed and that they have a right to have a say on how they feel about it when two permanent no-entry signs have already been installed.

"Naturally they assume this is a done deal – the decision has been made."

But Mr Stiff said: "It has always been our intention that the closure is a permanent feature of our junction improvement."

He said that the consultation responses would be assessed, but only with a view to seeing if there was something to be done to mitigate the adverse local effects.

Cllr Grigg responded that in that case talk of an "experimental" order had been "misleading and disastrous".

Mr Stiff said the closure had eased congestion at the junction, but Cllr Grigg replied: "Where is the evidence?

"The situation at the Wheatsheaf is appalling and the congestion along the Loose Road is horrendous."

Cllr Maureen Cleator (Lab) said one consequence of the closure had been an increase in traffic through the Shepway estate.

She said: "Shepway is now being used as a rat run."

But Mr Stiff insisted: "From the very original consultation on our Keep Maidstone Moving policy, the idea has always been to close Cranborne Avenue.

"That has always been the intention and it should come as no secret or surprise to anyone."

Work to demolish the Wheatsheaf pub starts in the spring next year. The junction work is expected to take a year.