The road network in Kent is so damaged that it could cost somewhere in the region of £630 million to fix, according to the county council.

Kent County Council is calling for better road maintenance budgets after it was revealed that roads were being granted 'band three funding' - just one million more a year than usual.

As government funding in general continues to dwindle and KCC said it faces extra pressures on its finances and the current condition of the road network equates to a backlog in the region of £630 million.

Fifteen miles of the 500 miles of A roads run by the council may be in need of repair, KCC said - compared to the previous 12 months where 10 miles required maintenance.

Cabinet member for highways Mike Whiting said: “This report clearly shows the scale of the problem facing Kent, alongside many other local authorities across the country.

“This is something we are determined to tackle and the report outlines the clear way forward to ensure we are showing government that we need this funding to maintain not just our roads but the multitude of other highways areas.

“There is huge disparity in funding between councils across the country, which experience vastly differing traffic levels, and between the Highways England and local highway networks.

“We believe the current formula is unsustainable – roads in Kent carry significantly higher volumes of freight than much of the rest of the country."

The Dartford Crossing alone carries 55 million journeys a year according to Highways England - a road designed for 49 million.

The amount given to Kent by the DoT, if remained at band two, would reduce by £2.3 million in 2019/20 and £1.4 million in 2020/21.

Cllr Whiting said: " Our roads and pavements will deteriorate significantly if current funding levels are maintained."