Kent County Council Accused of Fabricating £40m in Net Zero Savings

Kent County Council is facing accusations that it made up nearly £40 million in savings linked to environmental goals. The council's leaders claimed that two hypothetical "net zero" projects - plans designed to cut carbon emissions to zero - accounted for £39.5 million in budget savings.

Polly Billington, a local Labour MP, challenged these figures. She stated that a Freedom of Information request, which forces public bodies to release internal data, revealed that these projects had no formal business plans or guaranteed funding. She described the council's claims as a "blatant lie."

The council has rejected these allegations. Officials argued that the figures were "forward-looking assumptions" and defended their actions by calling the decision not to move forward with the projects a "future cost-avoidance measure," meaning they saved money by choosing not to spend it later.