THE Middlewich Eastern Bypass has been put on hold after the government refused to stump up funding saying the overall value for money in Cheshire East’s business case is ‘poor’.
The news has come as a major blow to the town which has been waiting decades for the much-needed road.
Minister for Roads Guy Opperman said: “Though we approved the scheme at the previous business case stage, costs have risen and the overall value for money in the most recent full business case provided us is poor.
“Therefore, I have been unable to give approval to allow the scheme to proceed into construction at this time.
“I have asked the promoting authority, Cheshire East Council, to look again at the scheme costs.”
The decision has sparked a furious row between Labour and the Tories with both blaming each other.
Middlewich's Conservative MP Fiona Bruce said: “The government has had to ask Labour-led Cheshire East Council to rethink the scheme due to the high level of escalated costs which have arisen over the time it has taken the council to proceed with bypass plans since I obtained outline commitment from the government several years ago.
“The government is now asking the council to rethink the scheme to make sure it can happen and has requested further information from Cheshire East Council.
“After so many years of delay the government now needs more information about the developer contribution and value for money aspects of the project from the council and has asked Cheshire East to re-scope the project given the council’s very significant proposed capital cost increases of more than 50 per cent since the government accepted the original outline business case.”
She added: “I have long been pressing for work on Middlewich Bypass to start. No wonder residents are asking, what has Labour been doing all this time?”
According to the most recent figures released by Cheshire East Council the cost of the scheme has spiralled to £95.74m.
Cllr Janet Clowes, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said: “It’s shocking that, having received the funding required in 2017 after significant support from Congleton’s MP Fiona Bruce, and getting planning permission - submitted in 2018 and approved in 2019 - that this Labour/Independent administration has consistently failed to deliver this much needed project.”
“The people of Middlewich have been severely let down.”
She said if the council had commenced on schedule in 2019, the road would have been completed by now.
“Instead, the project has been altered, modified, required four more planning applications and in the meantime costs have risen out of control,” said Cllr Clowes.
Andrew Cooper, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the new Mid Cheshire constituency, said he was 'outraged' by the decision.
Mr Cooper, who is a councillor on Cheshire West & Chester Council, said the government had been sitting on the request to release the funding for the bypass since October.
“This latest delay will mean that Cheshire East are likely to lose the slot with the contractor and lose any guaranteed contract prices, meaning they will need to re-tender.
“This is likely to lead to more cost increases and will push the project back even further,” Cllr Cooper posted on social media.
He added: “I have already written to the minister, and have launched a petition today so that people in Middlewich can send a message to the Tory government that they must keep the promise they made in 2017 to fund this scheme.
“Too often transport schemes in the north are curtailed or cancelled, while schemes in the south - often with worse value for money - go ahead.”
Helen Clawson, who plans to stand as an Independent candidate for the Mid Cheshire constituency, posted on social media that she was ‘incredibly annoyed’ by the decision.
“This latest delay will likely cost more money and delay the project further. This is not acceptable. We have been waiting for this bypass long enough,” she said.
“I have written to the secretary of state for transport and Fiona Bruce with a number of questions regarding this further delay and expressed extreme disappointment.”
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