Crazy paving – taxpayers foot £200k bill for woke pedestrian crossings

COUNCILS have spent more than £200,000 on woke pedestrian crossings since 2019, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

MPs last night expressed their fury at how taxpayers’ money has been wasted on the ‘ridiculous pet projects’ while frontline services including bin collection are cut.

The £200,000 outlay includes £43,000 splashed out by Kensington and Chelsea Council on three ‘creative crossings’ – including a Japan-themed one, left – while Richmond Council in South-West London spent £4,400 on a crossing featuring poppies.

In total, 21 local authorities spent £205,084 on what are described as ‘pointless paint jobs’, Freedom of Information data shows.

Last year Bristol City council spent £7,161 repainting a crossing in rainbow colours of the LGBT+ movement at the height of the pandemic – while cutting services and complaining of a £23 million funding gap. Transport for London spent £13,700 on an LGBT crossing in Regent Street that was there for only two months. Disability groups complain that ‘alternative’ crossings make life harder for disabled people.

Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs, said: ‘It is the worst sort of indulgence at taxpayers’ expense, and it displaces both attention and money away from the needs of those who have the greatest demands.’

Duncan Simpson, research director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Residents face punishing tax hikes and cutbacks to local services, yet councils are spending precious funds on ridiculous pet projects.’

Kensington and Chelsea Council said ‘local businesses supported the costs’.