COUNTY councillors have been accused of spending money to become a unitary authority and neglecting much-needed highway improvements.

Leader of Salisbury District Council, Paul Sample, said he understood that Wiltshire County Council is spending £350,000 on a PR campaign to create "one mega council for Wiltshire" while a "whole series of crucial highways improvements for Salisbury are not being met."

Mr Sample made his comments at a meeting of the district's city area committee after members were updated on the progress of the committee's community plan. The plan contains a list of objectives that each partner of the South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance has set out to undertake.

Several key highways objectives have not been delivered by the county council because it said funding was unavailable.

Mr Sample said: "That is why the city area committee passed a motion to put on record our deep concern that these improvements are not being delivered due to a lack of funding, but hundreds of thousands of pounds can be spent on the unitary bid."

Deputy leader of the council, Steve Fear, said the county council is failing to deliver on a number of important highways issues.

Mr Fear said: "These include much-needed work to poor pavements and the lack of progress on a number of key cycle routes.

"I really think the county council ought to be getting its priorities right. Its' services and people who suffer while they take their eye off the ball and focus all their efforts on becoming a unitary authority."