Transport Insights

The local authority that will receive government funding for one of the two local road schemes that the Department for Transport (DfT) *actually announced* yesterday is far from happy and expects the cost of the scheme to rise further.

The Middlewich Eastern Bypass is a 1.6-mile bypass including a new bridge over a railway line and a combined cycleway and footway. Cheshire East Council has told me that the estimated total cost of the scheme is currently £97.941m, of which the DfT will provide a maximum funding contribution of £48.037m, including £1.257m already paid.

“Cheshire East Council is solely responsible for meeting any expenditure over and above this maximum amount.”

Yesterday the council’s leader and deputy leader, Nick Mannion and Michael Gorman, issued a statement with a strong good news, bad news flavour:

“Today’s news is a tremendous boost for Middlewich and the wider Cheshire East economy, and the council remains committed to delivering this scheme. However, the delay in the Government’s decision has come at a cost.

“The council submitted its revised business case to Government nine months ago and we had hoped for a decision back in February, which would have allowed construction of the scheme to start this summer.

“The economic and environmental benefits of the Middlewich Eastern Bypass are clear – but we must now assess how we can deliver it in light of the challenges caused by this delay. This includes rising costs, the need to retender contracts, and the expiry of essential technical surveys, such as ecology assessments.”

And that’s all before you ask whether spending £100m on one and a half miles of new road in a climate emergency is a good idea.