A social club may have to stop the public from using its car park as it continues to fall into disrepair.

Many parents use the front of Sheerness East Working Men’s Club to drop off and collect their children at Halfway Houses Primary next door.

Concerns have been raised about the health and safety threat posed by potholes as well as the financial cost of repairing the uneven surface.

A sign has been put outside saying it is a members’ only car park although the public are still being allowed to use it.

Manager Dave Smith said the club’s trustees are considering closing it off, but they are worried about the knock-on effect it will have on traffic at the school’s entrance on Southdown Road.

He said: “It is a members’ club so if you are parking there it is effectively trespassing. It is like me parking on your front drive.

“We run the club as a community club. We let it go out for free for things like the Sheppey Organ Club and kids’ parties.

“We let the council put their waste things for recycling there. As it is, we go out of our way for the community.

“We just feel the council could be a little more proactive towards us.”
He called on Kent Highways to help towards resurfacing.

Mr Smith worries the problem will worsen when Halfway Houses takes on additional pupils in September.

He added commercial vehicles and even tour groups are taking advantage of the car park.

The club also had to fork out to replace a part of the front wall when someone parking at the site drove into it.

Head teacher of Halfway Houses, Ryan Driver, said: “We are very lucky that the club have enabled the parents to park there up until now and the future hopefully.

“It has always been a gesture and if they take it away we can’t do too much about it.”

At the time of going to press, Kent Highways had not responded.