Politicians vs potholes: Can they halt the decline of our highways?

Across the country, councils are struggling to defend their records in dealing with the state of the nation's roads. Ahead of yesterday's election, we asked all five of the main parties for their ideas on how Kent can manage its troubled highways. Here is what they said in response:

- 

Kent County Council looks after 5,400 miles of roads for the 1.5 million people who use them to get about.

As well as the tarmac, cats' eyes, and white lines, the authority is responsible for but many of the other pieces of infrastructure such as drains, pavements, street lights, kerbs and verges.

The council has revealed in recent weeks that the total bill to fix Kent's highways and associated assets could be as much as £1.3 billion. It puts into perspective the £1.6 billion of emergency road repair funding for the whole country announced by Sir Keir Starmer last Christmas.

Crumbling roads can damage vehicles - Kent driving instructors call them "car killers" - and can also be dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists.

The other issue facing the council is the county's road closure programme, designed to enable works on the highways.

When the roads are in need of repair, they have to be shut.

This in itself would cause inconvenience but there are also closures for utility companies, works for new housing developments, and the installation of broadband.

Residents complain highways are sometimes closed for "emergency" repairs which do not start for many days.

The council is responsible for issuing all permits to close roads temporarily, but has little control over how they are managed, particularly emergencies.

The Conservative Party

Kent County Council urgently needs enhanced powers and increased funding from central government to meet our ambitious goals for the county's transport network. We will relentlessly pursue multi-year funding that accurately reflects the extensive repair and maintenance demands of our roads, pavements, and other highway assets.

This is critical given the intense road usage, stemming in part from Kent's role as the UK's primary gateway to Europe, with heavy traffic placing constant pressure on our infrastructure.