A councillor is calling for 'garish' double yellow lines to be removed from an historic town centre.

Less than three years ago heritage markings were introduced in Cranbrook which are much thinner, and lighter in colour than traditional yellow lines and are designed as an alternative for areas of cultural significance.

But contractors from Kent County Council (KCC) last month painted over the lines in The Hill while installing speed bumps.

Seán Holden, KCC Councillor for Cranbrook, said the bold markings are 'harmful' to the town which has the second highest concentration of listed buildings in Kent after Sandwich.

He said: "I have been dismayed going into Cranbrook to find one of its prettiest streets of great importance to the identity of the town has been scarred by garish double yellow lines several inches wide.

"The only solution can be to take them up and replace them with the heritage lines.

"Those are the ones used for the High Street and Stone Street which The Hill joins. I am astonished that the crew on the day could possibly have thought this was the right thing to be doing.

"Earlier this year I made a grant of £3,200 from my Member's Fund to Cranbrook in Bloom to hang 25 planters on the railings to further enhance this road but the I fear the immediate seizure of the eyesight by these strident lines has negated that use of KCC money."

Cllr Holden says the bold markings have degraded the environment and has written to highways bosses urging them to consider removing them and re-introducing the heritage lines.

A KCC spokesman said: “KCC refreshed the lining on The Hill in Cranbrook and, as part of these works, the yellow lines were also refreshed using the standard colour rather than the primrose, which had previously been used.

“We are investigating whether any remedial works are required to amend the yellow lines.”

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