More government funding is needed to maintain local roads amid a “challenging” situation due to inflation, Hampshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways has said.

Cllr Nick Adam-King, HCC’s Conservative cabinet member for highways operations, said funding was still “far short” of what is needed.

This was despite the council planning ahead as central funding for repairs has fallen “significantly” over the past decade, reports the Hampshire Advertiser and Times.

In 2011 it allocated an additional £10m per year for works, named Operation Resilience, and earlier this year it agreed additional annual funding of £7m for highways maintenance.

Cllr Adam-King said: “The importance of maintaining the local road network should be properly recognised, particularly as 90% of all journeys in Hampshire are made on these roads.

“However, national funding from government for local road repairs and maintenance has fallen significantly in real terms over the past decade – a situation made even more challenging as we face inflation of more than 20% in the cost of road materials.”

Each year HCC also earmarked around £3m for maintaining the extensive network of highway drains, gullies and other drainage.

Cllr Adams-King said: “It is important that we keep our roads clear so that residents can get to work, school and college safely, as well travel for their essential shopping needs.

“Heavy, intense rainfall can result in localised flooding, and trying to keep surface water off Hampshire’s 5,500 miles of road surfaces is at the forefront of our highways preventive maintenance work throughout the year.”

He added crews were on standby to salt the roads ahead of any snow and icy conditions as well as dealing with high winds, heavy rain and flooding, said the report.