Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price has slammed the council’s ‘investment’ in a Tilbury junior school as a ‘disaster’.

Jackie Doyle-Price said ‘millions had been wasted’ on a building that is part of the Tilbury Pioneer Academy, (formerly the Tilbury Manor Junior School,) and that the half-built building should be torn down.

After a visit to the site, which the MP said has not been worked on for the past two years, the MP said the council’s involvement in the semi-constructed building had been a ‘complete and unmitigated disaster’.

The criticism comes a week after Thurrock Council released a press statement saying millions had been spent on local schools over the past year, including ‘amalgamation work’ on Tilbury Manor School.

Council Leader John Kent said: “I have great pleasure in detailing the work we have funded in schools over the past year – and the amount invested.”

He went on: “Work also started in other schools last year and is continuing this year; including amalgamation work at Tilbury Manor.”

Ms Doyle-Price said: “I really must challenge the Council’s version of events. The Council has left a mess that the Academy is having to clear up.

“There is a semi-constructed building which has been sitting there for two years. It is not fit or purpose and needs to be torn down and construction started again.

“There have been significant conflicts of interest throughout this process and no one has been held to account. We have had millions wasted.

“It is safe to say that from start to finish the Council’s intervention in Tilbury Manor has been a complete and unmitigated disaster. Is it any wonder that Tilbury feels unloved?”

Tilbury Manor Junior School became the Tilbury Pioneer Academy a year ago, with the Gateway Learning Community taking over the operation of the school from the council.

According to Ms Doyle-Price, construction on the building stopped two years ago, under council supervision, because ‘the design was not fit for purpose.’

She said: “Would you believe the original design didn’t even have provision for toilets for the children? When they did make provision the design did not meet legal standards. Consequently the contractors left the site.

“We had a chair of Governors removed and replaced with someone who made a series of poor decisions which were the subject of highly critical audit report.”

The council has been contacted for a comment.