Bridge branded 'frivolous' as costs spiral to £16m

The walking and cycling bridge would connect Hampton with Evesham town centre

The development of a £16m walking and cycling bridge whose cost has almost quadrupled in four years has been branded "frivolous" by a councillor.

The cost of building Hampton Bridge in Evesham, Worcestershire, increased by 375% from Worcestershire County Council's original estimate of £4.26m, made back in 2021.

Reform UK councillor Sam Bastow said the bridge - whose construction is bound by a legal agreement - would link Hampton to Evesham town centre, had been a "great idea" but the spiralling costs have made it a "frivolous spend".

However, Tory councillor Mark Goodge, chairman of Wychavon District Council, said he was "pleased" it was going ahead as it had been promised for a long time.

Members of the Reform-controlled county council cabinet said they looked into the possibility of scrapping it but concluded they could not for "legal reasons".

Bastow, who represents Evesham North West, said: "We already have a path at the side of the road. It gets you from A to B and it's safe. This is a frivolous spend but we're legally bound."

He said the authority was "stuck between a rock and a hard place" due to the legal contract being signed by the previous Conservative administration.

"It's a shame we're having to borrow for it," Bastow added. "We were voted in on a mandate of sensible spending and this isn't particularly sensible, but it's something we're being forced to do."

The estimated cost of the Hampton Bridge project has almost quadrupled since 2021

However, Goodge said there had been "all sorts of delays" with the bridge's construction.

"And the new council administration is cancelling things left, right and centre but I'm glad this will go ahead," he explained.

"I know it means a lot to the residents, especially the people of Hampton who will use it."

He admitted it was controversial in some parts of the town but said the money, which was ring-fenced for walking and cycling projects, would be lost if the bridge was cancelled.

Asked about the project's rising costs, Goodge said: "Ideally, we would have got under way three or four years ago and the bridge would be open by now, but we are where we are."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.