DRIVERS in Redditch and Bromsgrove are set to benefit from a £12 million roads improvement project.

Worcestershire County Council says its new programme called 'Driving Home' will improve between 300 and 400 routes by 2018.

The two-year scheme will effectively double the council's spending on the highways network, a record investment on the roads in such a short period.

County Hall's Conservative leadership threw its weight behind the project during a launch at the Newland highways depot last week, saying it will "deliver real benefits" to the public.

The council currently spends £12 million a year on highways maintenance, tending to everything from main A roads to unclassified ones.

Under 'Driving Home' a major piece of investigative work has been completed to establish what non-major routes are most in need of work, including those linking to estates, villages and hamlets.

The Tory administration says the extra spending follows regular public feedback where people have cited social care and roads as their personal priorities.

Councillor Marcus Hart, cabinet member for highways, said: "From the northern point of Rubery to the southern tip of Bredon, all six areas of this county will be targeted with this money.

"This is an organisation which spends £325 million a year, the majority goes on social care for adults and children and while that is absolutely fundamental to us, the public also tell us this is another area where they want to see us continue to invest."

Jon Fraser, head of highways, added: "We've been cross-referencing with areas where we know a lot of people are living.

"We'll be combining it with our regular programme of maintenance so we make sure it's spent efficiently.

"It's really about residential roads where people live - if you commute into Worcester for work and the roads are great, but you go home and on your estate it's not, that will affect your perception."

Of the extra £12 million spending bosses hope to 'front-load' the work, using up at least £7 million of it in the current financial year and the rest in 2017/18.

Each road will get whatever treatment it needs whether it be minor patching, surface dressing, a complete reconstruction, resurfacing or something else.

All 57 county councillors have been sent lists of the roads earmarked for improvements in their area and asked for feedback, which has led to some last-minute tweaking.

A full list of roads will be made available for public consumption in the coming weeks.

A powerful branding exercise is also kicking into gear, featuring the 'Driving Home' logo on vehicles, florescent jackets for highways workers, hard hats and even an electronic flashing screen on a van.

The cash is coming from a mixture of borrowing, and money from developers in return for new house building.