- Durham County Council’s Cabinet to decide on whether proposed bypass for Toft Hill and High Etherley should go ahead
- Inflation and other factors have significantly increased the cost of the scheme
- If the scheme does not go ahead, around £8.9 million in funding would be retained for future use
- A further £750,000 to be allocated for works to improve road safety in Toft Hill
Councillors will decide next week whether to go ahead with plans to develop a bypass around a County Durham village – or keep the funding for future use and introduce additional road safety measures.
A bypass scheme for Toft Hill and High Etherley formed part of a successful bid for £20 million from the government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) in 2021, alongside the restoration of the historic Whorlton Bridge, near Barnard Castle, and the creation of a walking and cycling trail along the route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR).
However, members of Durham County Council’s Cabinet will hear that the impact of inflation on construction costs, alongside other financial pressures, means the total cost of the project is now estimated at up to £36.4 million.
They will, therefore, be given the option to withdraw the scheme from the LUF programme, retaining the funding of around £8.9 million for future use; or proceed with the next steps of the project and commit to covering the funding shortfall of at least £18.8 million, including additional survey fees.
Measures to improve road safety in Toft Hill will be put in place whether the bypass proceeds or
When the bypass scheme was originally approved in 2021, the total costs were estimated at just under £12 million. A figure which excluded any potential additional costs such as any land compensation, mining remediation work or ground treatment.
Since then, the council has undertaken extensive development work, including the appraisal of potential routes for the road, technical studies and cost assessments.
As a result, cost estimates for the total project now range from just under £31.6 million to around £36.4 million, with the figure having increased due to a combination of factors, most significantly the impact of inflation on construction costs, the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as the identification of additional essential works.
Cllr Tim McGuinness, Cabinet member for rural, farming and transport, said: “We have undertaken a significant amount of work to establish the best way forward for the bypass scheme, which has been part of the council’s capital programme since 2021, well before this Cabinet took office. During that time, factors outside of our control have led to escalating construction costs. We have also identified that all potential routes for the bypass would require significant remedial works due to the area’s historic coal mines.
“It is clear, therefore, that the project no longer offers value for money, so it is right that we give consideration to whether or not it should go ahead at this time.”
In order to borrow the money required to meet the funding gap, the council would incur further costs of up to £1.45 million per year. The project does not currently meet the criteria required for it to be supported through ring-fenced transport funding awarded to the North East Combined Authority or to receive further funding support from the Department of Transport.
Furthermore, since securing the LUF funding, the total costs and split across the three schemes has changed in response to escalating costs on the Whorlton Bridge scheme and the accelerated delivery of the S&DR route.
If Cabinet decides not to progress with the scheme, around £8.9 million in funding that the council had allocated from its own budgets as part of the conditions of the LUF award would be retained for future use.
In order to address safety concerns raised by residents in Toft Hill, it is proposed that £750,000 in funding from existing budgets would be used to undertake work including: road resurfacing, enhanced traffic calming measures and improved parking provision, road crossings, signage and road markings.
“While we have to consider the potential not to progress with the scheme, we do understand the concerns of residents in Toft Hill about road safety in the village,” Cllr McGuinness added. “Regardless of our decision regarding the bypass, we will set money aside to improve road safety, working in consultation with residents to ensure any work directly addresses their concerns.
“We appreciate that the project has been on hold now for a number of years, but it is necessary that we, as a Cabinet, do our due diligence on any spend and ensure value for money, especially when the costs of a project have escalated significantly or so much time has passed.”
Cabinet is due to meet at County Hall on Wednesday, 11 February.
