GWENT councils say £187million is needed to bring sub-standard roads up to scratch.

But early budget plans reveal little more than £8million will be spent on them this year.

Newport and Caerphilly say this will not cover urgent repairs.

Caerphilly council has provisionally allocated just £700,000 to resurface borough roads during the next financial year. That will pay for only 50 roads to be resurfaced. Another £2million is needed to resurface all roads known to need work during the year.

Taxi driver Shane Russell, who lives on Atlee Road in Blackwood, one of the roads Caerphilly cannot afford to resurface, said: "There are lots of potholes and grooves from the wheels.

"I've lived here for ten years and potholes have been patched up but they've never resurfaced the road."

Neighbouring Bloomfield Road has also been identified as needing resurfacing. Linda Williams, 58, who has lived there for 38 years, said: "I can't remember the last time it was done."

Newport city council has set a provisional budget of £1.77million but says £5million is needed for urgent repairs and £53million needed to pay for the backlog.

Monmouthshire's provisional allowance of £2.3million for highway repairs will only pay for five per cent of repairs.

At the moment they have a repairs backlog of £42million, with between 30 and 40 per cent of the county's roads in need of resurfacing work.

Torfaen still have a backlog of £18million on the borough's roads.

Blaenau Gwent council has not yet decided on its highways budget for next year.

But in 2005/6 funding was not available to resurface 308 roads.

Blaenau Gwent council leader, John Hopkins, said: "We will look very carefully at any opportunity to put extra money into highways but that may not be possible."

Councillor Keith Griffiths, Caerphilly council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "We have yet to finalise proposals for the next financial year - we can't do that until we have the final settlement from the Assembly."