MORE than £36million is to be spent on maintaining and improving Kent's roads and transport over the next three years.

The Government has announced that Kent County Council is to get £36.9million to spend on road maintenance, schemes to reduce congestion and improve safety as well as invest in local public transport schemes. It is the highest sum being given to any council in the south east.

Major schemes likely to benefit are the East Kent Access - improving the A299 and A256 - and the Fastrack bus scheme linking parts of north Kent.

The funding forms part of the annual settlement provided to all transport authorities in the country.

In KCC's case, nearly £13million will be available for investment in integrated transport schemes and £23.9million for road maintenance and improvements.

The announcement has been welcomed by the opposition Labour group at County Hall and the administration are being urged to make the most of the money.

Spokesman Cllr Roger Truelove (Lab) said: "Some of the money is capital grant and some supported borrowing.

"It is vital KCC takes full opportunity to use both - we either use it or lose it and we do not want to see the people of Kent losing out on this funding from the Government."

But the council's Conservative administration has warned there remained a question mark over its ability to fund major schemes.

Cllr Keith Ferrin (Con), cabinet member for transport, told a meeting of KCC's Conservative cabinet: "This year, we have not been able to take up £2.1million of supported borrowing because we cannot afford to.

"Next year, we may not be able to take up £7million."

KCC would need "to look very carefully at priorities" if it wanted major road schemes to go ahead, he added.