A Reform UK-run council has been criticised for wasting money after repainting road markings outside a school which closed nine years ago.
Kent County Council (KCC) has apologised and admitted it made an “error” after repainting yellow zigzags and “School Keep Clear” warnings outside the former site of Halfway Houses Primary School in Sheerness.
The school moved to another location in October 2016.
The council sold the disused school buildings and grounds to government agency Homes England in March.
KCC is one of the local authorities won by Reform in local elections earlier this year and is seen as a key test of the party’s governing ability.
Mike Whiting, an independent councillor for Swale Borough Council, described the road repainting as “a farce”.
He wrote on Facebook: “What on earth is going on at cash-strapped Kent County Council?
“Rather than saving money, they have just repainted the yellow ‘School Keep Clear’ lines in Southdown Road, Halfway, almost 10 years after the school closed.
“How many times are we told there’s not enough money for really important projects, yet they waste money like this, painting irrelevant signs, both sides of the road.”
Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport for KCC, said: “The repainting of the ‘School Keep Clear’ markings on Southdown Road was carried out in error, and we’re sorry for any confusion this may have caused.”
He said the cost of painting the lines was £350.
“We take our financial responsibilities seriously to ensure public money is spent carefully and mistakes like these are exceedingly rare,” he added.
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Last month, Reform suspended four of its councillors in Kent “following evidence that they brought the party into disrepute”.
It comes after a video was leaked to The Guardian in which councillors at the local authority were seen arguing over decision-making relating to the council’s finances.
