WORCESTERSHIRE County Council chiefs are to consider borrowing £15million to repair residential roads.

The county council's cabinet will weigh-up the option to fill in pot-holes using outside money when it meets, next Friday.

Funds would be used on up to 350km of roads, including routes in Wyre Forest, in urban areas outside A, B, or C, classification.

The proposals are aimed at preventing many of these roads deteriorating to a state where they would require massive repair work.

The extra cash would come through borrowing and would be found from the county council's capital spending programme.

Currently, £700,000 of the county council's £8million annual maintenance budget is spent on urban unclassified roads.

By investing a further £15 million into this upkeep, highways chiefs are hoping to prevent even more expensive repair jobs in the future, while at the same time improving the quality of residents' roads.

If the proposal is agreed by cabinet members and voted through at the full council meeting, on October 11, the maintenance work would be carried out over the next 18 months.

John Hobbs, director of environmental services, explained: "We intend to take an asset management approach to our roads, categorising them as green, amber, or red according to their condition, red being in need of most attention.

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

"It would take a disproportionate amount of repair work to return these roads to a good, green, condition.

"Undertaking a major programme of resurfacing and repair work now would prevent this happening and therefore a stitch in time', saving on future costs."

Derek Prodger, cabinet member for environment, added: "Improving roads is a county council priority, so I look forward to being able to discuss this matter with cabinet colleagues.

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