Clevedon's active travel scheme officially over-budget
North Somerset Council have revealed the final cost of the scheme amid a consultation over the project - deemed previously by the RAC as 'confusing'
It's official - the active travel scheme in Clevedon was delivered by North Somerset Council over-budget.
The local authority have revealed the full cost of the scheme, amid a consultation which is taking place helping to decide on its long-term future.
The scheme, which runs along Hill Road, The Beach and the town's surrounding roads, has been a controversial one, with locals saying drivers are finding it difficult to understand, and some saying it's had a big impact on parking in the area.
It was designed in a bid by North Somerset Council to support their commitment to providing sustainable travel routes by encouraging more cycling and walking as well as reducing car travel - all of which is now being looked at under the independent consultation
The scheme is over-budget
The overall cost of the active travel scheme has been worked out to be £1.357 million.
North Somerset Council have blamed the extra costs on 'a number of reasons' - including some costs and remedial work that was not included in the original brief, as well as some changes to the scheme itself and how it was delivered following feedback from the community.
In all, that means they're over-budget by £565,000.
Of that money:
- £253,000 is because of 'inflationary costs
- £218,000 is because of 'unforeseen costs' - including repair work to structural damage beneath the promenade, and digging to avoid services on Hill Road
- £101,000 is because of scheme amendments and alterations
In addition to these figures, North Somerset Council have revealed an extra £187,000 was invested in local roads at the same time.
This included:
- £12,000 of drainage work to the Marine Parade to reduce the risk of flooding to properties on that road
- £130,000 of resurfacing work to The Beach, as the authority say the road was nearing the end of its life
- £12,000 of extra pavement and road surfacing
'It's critical changes have full engagement of the local community'
Cllr Hannah Young, executive member for highways and transport, and local ward member in Clevedon said: “The scheme was significantly increased in its scope from the one the council secured funding for from the Department for Transport back in 2020, and costs also rose due to structural damage found under the promenade, splitting the work into two stages, and other unavoidable factors like global inflation.
“Acting on requests from local people and residents, work originally planned for last summer was carried out instead during autumn 2022 and early this year to minimise disruption to holiday trade.
“Unfortunately, delaying the work at a time when the rate of inflation was accelerating between autumn last year and spring this year added an estimated £253,000 increase in scheme costs.
“The work carried out on Hill Road and The Beach includes widened walkways for pedestrians, new cycleways and cycle-parking, and improved road surfacing for all users, but it is critical that when changes such as these are planned they also have full engagement of the local community and represent value for money. As part of the new partnership administration I’m committed to openness and transparency as we review the design, safety and value of the scheme.”
All additional funds needed were from external grant funding sources provided by the Department for Transport (DfT).
Cllr Mike Bell, Leader of the Council, added: “While there are legitimate reasons for all additional expenditure on the scheme, the final costs remain significantly higher than the original budgeted costs.
“The council has already conducted an internal audit of the scheme to ensure that lessons are learned going forwards. These lessons will ensure more effective consultation, better budget management, and stronger governance of large projects.
“The independent external review being led by AECOM will also provide valuable input on the delivery of the scheme.”
The independent review is running for a six-week period from Monday 14 August until Sunday 24 September, which you can find out more about here.
Read more: Review into Clevedon's active travel scheme to launch next week