A local authority says it needs £50 million to tackle the number of potholes plaguing its streets.

Medway has written to the government saying a study of its highways has revealed a huge cash injection is needed.

The council receives just under £3.2 million a year from Whitehall for road upkeep. This year, however, it has been given an additional £400,000 from the Department for Transport (DfT).

But council leader Cllr Vince Maple (Lab) says this simply isn’t enough.

The authority plans to improve roads, including City Way, Rochester, which will receive the greatest share for this year at £112,800.

Montgomery Road, Gillingham, will get £52,500 and Wayfield Road, Chatham, will be allocated £26,600.

Though some areas will have their roads improved, others are to miss out.

Hempstead Valley Drive has been allocated £8,700 for road improvements but nearby Hempstead Road will not see any cash.

Resident Michael Kearsey-Lawson said he was surprised it was not a priority for the council.

He said: “The road is really bad, there’s huge breaks down the middle for stretches and it’s pitted with potholes all along.

“I am really surprised it isn’t near the top of the list for repair because it’s such a problem.

“It’s not just the road, the pavements need looking at too. My wife has to use a mobility scooter and as she goes along she’s rocking back and forth because it’s uneven and full of holes.”

Fellow Hempstead Road resident, Mr Cameron, said previous improvements which had been done were poor quality and quickly needed fixing again.

He said: “It’s shocking to be honest, considering the amount we’re paying in council tax now.

“They take forever to come and fill in a hole and when they do it barely lasts any time at all before it’s a wreck again.”

Another resident said she thought Hempstead Road should have been more of a focus.

She said: “I am surprised Hempstead Valley Drive is getting money and we aren’t.

“Obviously I’m biased because I live on this road, and I know both are very busy, but with the school and the amount of potholes there are here, I would’ve thought we’d see something.”

A man who lives near to Hempstead Valley Drive said he was pleased the road was getting funding, but there were areas more in need.

He said: “I’m pleased the council are doing something, but there are potholes everywhere to be honest.

“Some places there’s more potholes than road; I don’t know how you’d choose where to start.”

Medway Council considers a combination of factors when deciding which roads to prioritise for repairs, including condition, extent of safety risks posed by defects, and the level of disruption.

The authority says it needs the £50 million to bring all its roads up to standard and fix the approximate 2,000 potholes.

In 2023, 4,113 pothole complaints were reported and 19,129 were fixed.

Cllr Maple and portfolio for climate change and strategic regeneration, Cllr Simon Curry (Lab), have written to the DfT saying government funding for roads is not enough.

They say the extra £400,000 for road improvements in this financial year comes nowhere near to the scale of fixing the problem.

In their letter to Roads Minister Guy Opperman (Con), the councillors say council officers estimate Medway’s 500 miles of road have around 2,000 potholes.

Cllr Maple says the issue is consistently raised on the doorstep.

He said: “This is not a unique Medway problem, there's a national road crisis and we're saying to government we need the resources to get this fixed because it's not just an issue of slight discomfort, it's becoming increasingly an issue of safety.

“The £400,000 grant we've seen in the last year, it’s a sticking plaster - it simply doesn't touch the sides, we need a more fundamental review.”

The letter asks the minister for a meeting to discuss a better way to resource road improvements for Medway, saying the council’s responsibility for the Medway Tunnel means it has greater pressures.

Motorists regularly express frustration at the state of Medway’s roads and the lack of action taken.

Commenting on a post in the Rainham Community Group on Facebook complaining about the problem, one commenter said: “The potholes are everywhere, nothing is being done about them.

“I look like I have had a few too many trying to avoid them. It is a disgrace what with the council tax going up too.”

A DfT spokesperson said: “We have already allocated £3.5 million to Medway Council in 2024/25 for its road network, which includes an additional £400,000 made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”