FIFTEEN million pounds is set to be spent on pot-holed residential roads - but Worcestershire County Council will have to borrow the money.

Worcestershire County Council has announced plans to borrow £15 million from the Government to repair up to 350km (217 miles) of residential roads.

The roads set to benefit have been identified - but will not be revealed to the public until the proposal has been given the green light next month.

John Hobbs, director of environmental services, said vital restructuring work would save more costs in the future as roads deteriorate.

"We are categorising them as green, amber or red according to their condition; red being in need of most attention," he said.

"A number of unclassified urban roads are in danger of slipping from an amber to a red classification.

"A disproportionate amount of repair work would be needed to return them to a good, green, condition, which is why undertaking a major programme of resurfacing and repair work now would prevent this happening and therefore save on future costs."

The investment would prevent the roads - all of which are unclassified, meaning not A, B or C roads - deteriorating to a state that would require massive remedial work.

At present, about £700,000 of the council's £8 million annual maintenance budget is spent maintaining them.

According to highways chiefs a further £15million will prevent expensive repair jobs and, at the same time, improve the overall quality for residents.

If the proposal is voted through by cabinet and full council, the work would be carried out over the next 18 months.

Councillor Derek Prodger, cabinet member for environment, said road improvements were a county council priority.

"The proposal involves a large-scale investment that would include additional road repairs in every major Worcestershire town," he said.

"Officers have developed this piece of work based on the scrutiny into road maintenance which the Cabinet received in May and this is a really good example of Cabinet using its scrutiny function to help inform the decision-making process."

The cabinet will consider the plans next Friday (sept 28) and if accepted they will go before full council on Thursday, October 11.