Your County - Putting Kent First

Kent 4 star Council

Who looks after the roads in Kent

How big is the road network in Kent?

Kent has one of the largest road networks in the country. We maintain over 5000 miles of roads and 4000 miles of pavement. We regularly inspect, clean, repair, trim or improve:

  • 2700 bridges;
  • 110,000 street lights;
  • 20,000 illuminated signs and bollards;
  • 250 junctions with traffic signals;
  • 350 pedestrian and cycle crossings controlled by signals
  • 130,000 traffic signs;
  • 28,000 trees along roads;
  • 170,000 road drains; and
  • 300 miles of cycle routes.

Do you regularly check the roads and pavements in Kent?

We inspect busy A and B roads once every month, and all other roads (like housing estates or country lanes) once every six months. We inspect busy pavements every month, and other paths and pavements once every year. We also carry out inspections in response to problems reported to us by local residents, parish councils, the police and so on.

Do you only look after roads and pavements?

As well as looking after roads and pavements, we also promote road safety and other ways of travelling, including supporting over 200 local bus services. We're working to make your journey enjoyable and are committed to:

  • "better condition of roads and pavements;
  • safer roads and pavements;
  • improving journey times for all;
  • shaping development and improving travel choice in kent;
  • improving public satisfaction;
  • delivering an efficient and sustainable service."

What sort of thing do you look after?

We are responsible for the following on Kent's roads and pavements.

  • access for disabled people
  • bollards
  • bridges and tunnels
  • carShare Club (www.kent.gov.uk/carshare)
  • catseyes
  • co-ordinating roadworks by electricity, gas and water companies
  • congestion - improving traffic flow and reducing congestion
  • cycle routes
  • ditches and road drains
  • fly-tipping - removing rubbish from roads and pavements
  • grass cutting - alongside roads, paths and pavements
  • hedges - making sure owners cut and maintain their hedges bordering roads
  • improving roads, pavements and paths
  • inspecting roads and pavements
  • licences - issuing licences to place things on the road or pavement (skips, scaffolding)
  • maintaining pedestrian crossings
  • new housing - considering the effect new housing and business developments would have on the roads
  • repairing roads and pavements
  • responding to emergencies on roads and pavements (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)
  • road boundaries - providing information on road boundaries
  • road markings - putting down road markings
  • road safety - running road-safety training programmes for drivers, cyclists and children, providing road-safety education in schools and running road-safety publicity campaigns
  • road signs - putting up road signs
  • roadworks - co-ordinating and providing information on roadworks
  • safety cameras - maintaining safety cameras Safety fencing and barriers - putting up safety fencing and barriers
  • speed management - introducing measures to control the speed of vehicles
  • street lights - maintaining street lights
  • sustainable travel - promoting sustainable travel and safer routes to school (alternatives to car journeys to help tackle congestion and pollution, benefit people's health and reduce damage to our environment)
  • travel plans - producing travel plans for schools and businesses
  • trees - cutting and maintaining highway trees along roads
  • traffic calming - introducing traffic-calming measures
  • traffic signals - maintaining traffic signals
  • vehicle crossings - providing vehicle crossings across pavements to private properties
  • verges - maintaining grass along roads and pavements
  • weeds - dealing with weeds along roads and pavements
  • winter maintenance - gritting roads, clearing snow from roads, providing grit bins

Is my local district or borough council responsible for anything on the road?

We are responsible for most of the issues relating to roads. However, your local borough or district council will deal with the following matters.

  • abandoned vehicles
  • parking bays for disabled drivers
  • dogs, stray dogs, and dog mess (including providing bins on roads and pavements)
  • providing and emptying litter bins
  • maintaining parks and playgrounds
  • parking and permits
  • giving planning permission
  • residents' parking permits
  • putting up street-name plates
  • sweeping the streets
  • issuing tree preservation orders

Copyright Kent County Council 2008