Funding for a major revamp of Stockbury Roundabout is £20 million short, it has been revealed.

The figure was divulged at Swale council's latest Joint Transportation Board meeting, leading to fears the project won't start as planned next year.

Cllr Mike Baldock (The Swale Group) quizzed Highways England project manager Camelia Lichtl for updates on the eagerly-awaited improvements at the A249's junction with the M2 at Junction 5, which includes a flyover to and from Maidstone.

The majority of the cost will be met by government funding from the Road Investment Strategy.

Ms Lichtl said Highways England had been liaising with Kent County Council (KCC) to identify other sources of cash for the remainder.

While £2.5m had been secured from the Housing Infrastructure Fund, the funding gap remains at £20m.

She said the funding gap remained at £20m, adding: “The Highways England commercial team continually reassessed the project, and rising VAT costs caused variances.”

KCC cabinet member for planning, highways, transport and waste, Mike Whiting, said he believed the shortfall was due to the late addition of the flyover to the plans.

He understood it would cost £80m overall, up from £60m without the overpass.

Cllr Baldock said: “After telling us improvements and donations had come in, we were told the funding gap remains the same due to inflation.”

Following the meeting Cllr Baldock said: “I think the government has a responsibility to find the missing £20m.

"It’s absolutely irresponsible especially considering the Lower Thames Crossing, it’s likely to send more vehicles down the M2 and the A249 to get onto the M20.

“Because of the amount of house building we’ve got in this part of Swale, the junction on the A249 cannot cope as it is.

“We’ve got thousands more planned and it’s absolutely essential, just for the current level of traffic, to be improved.

“Without the upgrade I think they’d have to go to the government and stop all development in the area.”

The project is now at the preliminary design stage.

Highways England bosses are confident construction will begin as planned next March and run until August 2021.

When asked if he thought it would be delayed Cllr Baldock said: “I do indeed.”