SUFFOLK'S road cannot be maintained to the required standard unless government is increased says the county council.

The authority has responded after hearing it has been allocated up to £219.4 million over the next four years by the government to maintain and improve the condition of its roads.

Cllr Christopher Hudson, the council's lead for transport and highways, said the money - which is subject to meeting targets on transparency, performance and best practice - would help invest in Suffolk's roads, but was not enough.

"This funding will help us continue investing in preventative maintenance, resurfacing programmes, drainage improvements and other works designed to deliver better long-term outcomes for residents and businesses," he said.

"However, the scale of Suffolk's highway network remains significant and while this settlement is welcome, it does not fully close the historic funding gap faced by highway authorities and remains below the level we believe is required to maintain Suffolk's entire highway network in a steady-state condition."

The authority is responsible for more than 11,300 miles of roads, pavements, bridges and other structures.

The Government said the money should be used to improve the long-term condition of roads and deliver faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

Part of the money will be used to fuel the council's own 'war on potholes', which Cllr Hudson previously said were 'causing a lot of damage'.

To achieve this, the authority has promised to look at new ways of looking at the issue, including trialling the JCB Pothole Pro last month.

The Pothole Pro is a specialist 3‑in‑1 machine designed to deliver speedy and permanent pothole repairs and was trialled on free loan from JCB.

The council said it was now reviewing the findings of its performance, productivity and value for money before making a decision on whether to buy the machines at £200,000 each.

Cllr Hudson said: "We will continue to make every pound work as hard as possible through innovation, best practice and an asset management approach that focuses on delivering the greatest long-term benefit to Suffolk's residents, businesses and visitors."