KCC is not confident that it will be able to reach any kind of agreement with Maidstone council over a joint transport strategy for the town.

The borough is currently analysing the public responses to its draft Local Plan, which seeks to find allocations for 19,600 new homes by 2014.

But it has been unable to agree a transport policy with the highways authority that would make that level of development possible.

Maidstone South County Cllr Brian Clark (Lib Dem) asked KCC’s cabinet member for environment and transport, Cllr David Brazier (Con), to comment on the two authorities’ failure to reach agreement.

Cllr Brazier responded that KCC had been trying to work with the borough for two years, seconding a transport officer to the council and providing cash for surveys, but he said no strategy could be agreed while there was a still a dispute over the level of housing and employment that the borough was seeking.

He said a renewed attempt would be made in August once the outcome of the Local Plan consultation was known.

Cllr Clark then asked: “Is the member confident that consensus will be reached then?”

Cllr Brazier replied with one word: “No!”