Kent will not be promoted to the top-flight of the Specsavers County Championship, despite Durham being relegated amid financial turmoil.

Durham finished fourth in Division 1 last month, with Nottinghamshire going down as the bottom side and Hampshire joining them in the drop-zone after finishing ninth.

However the ECB announced on Monday afternoon that Durham has accepted an offer of £3.8m financial support in order to manage current and historic debt and revenue issues.

The £3.8 million financial aid package will allow the club to meet on-going salary, tax and operating costs, settle a substantial debt to a creditor and focus on the restructuring and future sustainability of the Club.

As a result of the new financial arrangement Durham will be relegated to Division 2 of the Specsavers County Championship and start the 2017 season with a 48-point penalty.

However despite Kent finishing second to Champions Essex in Division 2, Hampshire will remain in Division 1, in apparent accordance with ECB’s competition regulations, meaning Kent miss out once more, given 2016 was the only year in which two teams have not won promotion as the Championship structure is overhauled by the ECB.

Skipper Sam Northeast took to twitter in the aftermath to say 'so many questions need to be answered here' while it is understood that Kent were not even asked for their observations on the unprecedented situation.

Durham will also start the season with a four-point penalty in the NatWest T20 Blast and a two-point penalty in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Other penalties include an ECB-imposed salary cap until 2020 and the refunding of prize-money from the season until debts are settled.

They must also not carry out redevelopment work at Chester-le-Street without ECB agreement and accepted they will no longer be eligible to host Test cricket at the Riverside, though the club will continue to be eligible to host ODIs and T20Is.

ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said: "We’ve been working with Durham throughout the year on how best to address their financial issues; we welcome the club’s willingness to review its business model and management structures.

“There is no doubt that a strong, financially robust Durham County Cricket Club has a vital role to play in developing England talent, enriching our domestic competitions and underpinning the wider growth of the game in the north east.

“The financial package and associated conditions approved by the ECB Board reflect the unprecedented seriousness of Durham’s financial situation.

To help them through these difficulties and continue as a First Class County, this had to be addressed with immediate, practical financial assistance.

“We also have a wider responsibility to the whole game and need strong deterrents in place to preserve the game’s integrity and financial stability.

“Durham have made a strong contribution to the game as a First Class County, through domestic competitions, local participation and producing fine England players.

"We now look forward to working productively with the new Board of Directors in the restructured company and supporting a healthy future for Durham and the game in the north-east.”

A Durham spokesperson added: “The Club Board welcomes the ECB’s long-term commitment to safeguarding First Class Cricket in the north-east.”