DORSET County Council has received £5.8m to help repair local roads damaged by the recent severe weather.Now a major programme of works is being planned for the county’s roads.

But with the final repair bill likely to top £12.4m the council says it will continue to lobby for extra funding.

The council submitted bids for a number of national funds to help with repairs following the wettest winter on record and is waiting to hear if it has been successful.

Council leader Spencer Flower said: “We are pleased that the amount of damage the county received over the past few months has been recognised.

“But this money is only part of the funding we need to repair all the storm-damaged roads.

“An intense programme of works will be planned to make sure this money is spent by the Government’s deadline of the summer holidays.

“The plan will look at carrying out repairs in the most efficient way, but balanced with causing the least disruption to local residents.

“This is going to be a busy few months with many major roads across the county needing attention.”

The programme of repairs is currently being planned and information will be published explaining how and where the money will be spent when it has been finalised.

Also, due to the timescale, some planned road maintenance will need to be postponed until later in the year to keep traffic moving and boost the local economy.

The county has also received £184,813 from the severe weather recovery scheme for the community impact of the storms.