COUNTY council leaders are to tackle ministers over what they claim is the Government’s failure to honour a pledge to give Kent a share of the money raised by Dartford Crossing tolls.

Kent County Council’s ruling Tory administration has renewed its criticism of the way in which it has been allocated a £1million share of the toll cash.

Instead of giving the money to Kent and Thurrock councils as a direct grant to invest in local transport schemes, the Department of Transport says the cash is a loan and must be repaid.

At a KCC cabinet meeting county councillors condemned the arrangement as “obscene” and accused the Government of reneging on its promise.

County council leader Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said the Dartford Crossing would not have been built had Kent County Council and Essex County Council not helped out.

He stressed: “The county councils were instrumental in obtaining the cash. The agreement was that once the tolls had paid for the construction costs, the money would be ploughed back into local authorities.

"The Government has now said ‘we’d like to give you £1million but rather than having the cash, you can borrow the money.’ That is wholly unsatisfactory.”

Fellow Tory colleague Cllr Keith Ferrin went further. He said: “The Dartford Crossing would not be there were it not for Kent and Essex county councils. To suggest it was all government money is frankly obscene and it is outrageous the people of Kent are not benefiting from what they have paid for.”

KCC has been compelled to bid for the £1million as an element of its regular application for money to help fund projects in its Local Transport Plan.

The cash has been earmarked for improvements to Greenhithe and Dartford stations.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said there had never been an agreement with local authorities which entitled them to money. However, as a result of the decision to carry on charging motorists, the Government had agreed to lend Kent and Thurrock £1million.