The county's highways boss has come in for fierce criticism after suggesting residents in new build developments could "get on their bikes" to avoid congested roads.

Conservative Cllr David Brazier, Kent County Council's (KCC) cabinet member for roads and transport, was championing the argument for sustainable travel.

But his report published this week was described as "pathetic" by one councillor who claims cycling is too dangerous in rural communities where much of the new housing is being placed.

The statement, discussed at a meeting of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board (JTB) on August 3, set out KCC's position on its "involvement in the highway aspects of planning applications".

Cllr Brazier wrote "where possible" the highways department is not "looking to amend the network to accommodate more cars".

He added: "Instead, they are looking to see how people could travel more sustainably from new development sites and are asking developers to provide the infrastructure to make this happen.

"The hope is that in the future it will be more inviting and easier to walk and cycle short trips than to use the private car and that public transport will be more accessible with reliable journey times."

But Leeds borough and parish councillor Gill Fort called the position “pathetic”.

“The idea is fine if you live within a mile of the shops. But in rural areas, no way,” she said. “There is no way I would get on a bike in Leeds as it's too dangerous on the roads.

"If you weren't run over by an HGV being driven illegally through the village, a speeding car charging round the corner would get you."

Harrietsham Parish Council chairman Eddie Powell said: "There are certain parts of the A20 which are a death trap with the amount HGVs on it. It's a single track road and cyclists mean less room.

"With new housing, the population of Harrietsham has nearly doubled in ten years but no investment in the roads. I would not allow my children to cycle to school, that's for sure."

The JTB is a cross-party scrutiny body of county, borough and parish members designed to examine all transport issues and policies surrounding them.

There are currently a number of road widening schemes, roundabout changes and highways changes in the Maidstone borough which KCC has yet to start.

Known as highway improvement schemes, aimed at easing the congestion on roads, few have advanced beyond the planning stages in years.

Maidstone borough councillor Denis Spooner (Con) said: "It's a standing joke. Nothing gets started, nothing gets done."

Of sustainable travel, he added: "In fairness, it's the way the world is going – there is simply not the capacity to take all the cars. And it will take a massive sea change in public perception to make it happen.

"I support sustainable travel but you cannot do the weekly shop at Tesco or pick the kids up from school on a bike."

Labour borough councillor Paul Harper said the fact that neither Cllr Brazier nor KCC officers attended the JTB meeting at Maidstone Town Hall "made a mockery of democracy".

Cllr Harper, a member of the Maidstone Cycle Campaign Forum, added: "To make it work there has be good public transport, cycle paths and decent walkways for pedestrians."

Cllr Brazier's report said that planning inspectors are "routinely approving appeals" to rejected planning applications.

It states: "Congestion, journey time reliability and extended queuing are not often being upheld as reasons to refuse development.

"The only realistic chance of an appeal being upheld on highway grounds is if highway safety is directly compromised and this has to be robustly evidenced."

But not all were critical of Cllr Brazier’s remarks.

Maidstone Green Party borough councillor Stuart Jeffery said: "There has to be a fundamental rethink of how we get around in the future.

“I broadly welcome David Brazier's comments because I hope they will prompt a level of debate."

Cllr Brazier was approached for a comment.