Town and parish councils across Norfolk are being offered pound for pound support from Norfolk County Council towards the cost of small highway improvements such as pavements, paths and road crossings.

The county council has �100,000 available for the scheme, which will see it cover up to half of the cost of small highway improvements.

Town and parish councils are being invited to bid for the funding, which will give successful applicants the chance to carry out minor improvements. The money for the scheme will come from a fund that has been specially set aside from next year's highway improvement budget.

Graham Plant, county council cabinet member for planning and transportation, said: 'Town and parish councils often know where small improvements would make a big difference and this gives them the chance to share the cost with the county council.

'Sharing the delivery of local highway improvements with local councils will help the county council's scarce resources stretch further, and we can be sure that they will meet local priorities.'

Among the type of projects the county council is prepared to consider will be work to paths and crossings.

Schemes that support the Local Transport Plan objectives will have a higher priority, however minor traffic management changes such as speed limits or waiting restrictions will not qualify.

The town and parish councils will be given until January 20 to submit their proposals to the county council, with the successful schemes announced in March.

Mr Plant added that engineers at the council would be available to give advice to the councils before the deadline.

He added that while the county council would be filling about 800 grit bins bought by local councils, a number of town councils had agreed to take on the gritting of paths and pavements during severe winter weather.