Council chiefs have warned that Kent and Medway are short of a staggering £3.96bn to build the roads, homes and other infrastructure to cope with a huge growth in population and jobs over the next 20 years.

The warning comes in an updated report setting out what the county needs up to 2031 to cope with the expected growth - driven by forecasts for housing development, new jobs and a rising population that has been fuelled by migration into the county.

It raises the prospects of even more congested roads, a shortage of school places and increased pressure on the NHS.

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Kent County Council says 178,600 homes are planned across Kent and Medway between 2011 and 2031. In addition, population is expected to rise by 396,300 and there will be 170,300 new jobs.

Together, that will mean a £16bn bill for infrastructure. Some £827m has been secured and about £11.6bn is expected to be guaranteed.

But KCC says that leaves a gap of £3.96bn which at this stage is not expected to be met by government.

Of the £16bn, nearly £10bn will be needed for transport - but £2.9bn of that has not been secured. Some £2.76bn is needed for health services of which about a third - £939m - is unmet.

The demand for thousands of additional school places will require £1.18bn but £540m has yet to be found.

There will be a predicted £2.3bn shortfall in transport costs while the investment in the NHS - under pressure because of a growing elderly population - is priced at £2.76bn of which £939m has not been guaranteed.

The report flags up how the county is facing mounting pressure over the growth anticipated over the next decade and beyond.

Kent and Medway’s growth aspiration up to 2031 is equivalent to building another town the size of Faversham every year, for 20 years.

The growth in Kent and Medway is reflected in figures that show a 14.3% increase in the number of vehicles on major roads in Kent between 2006 and 2016 and an increase of 42% in people using trains in the past 10 years.

Cllr Mike Whiting, KCC cabinet member for planning, said: “Kent and Medway are embracing growth. We recognise the benefits business and housing growth brings to the county in terms of new jobs, new facilities, and new communities.”

“However, the GIF makes it clear the current mechanisms in place for the planning, funding and delivery of infrastructure are not sufficient for accommodating the level of growth planned for Kent and Medway.”

“New approaches are required to secure the additional public and private investment needed and the GIF includes a forward-thinking action plan to begin to close the investment gap.”

Since the original GIF was published in September 2015, the authorities and infrastructure providers across Kent and Medway have worked collaboratively to secure £120 million from the government for a range of schemes.