Council 'not legally bound' to build £16m bridge

The Hampton Bridge project is designed to connect Hampton with Evesham town centre

A council's claim it is legally bound to build a bridge whose cost has nearly quadrupled to £16m is "simply untrue", the opposition leader says.

The Reform-controlled Worcestershire County Council previously said it could not scrap the Hampton Bridge project in Evesham because of "legal reasons".

But councillor Adam Kent, leader of the Conservative group, described that as "misinformation" since no contract has been signed for the project.

The authority said his comments were "not only confused" but "politically opportunistic and deeply misleading".

The row comes after the cost of the bridge, which would connect Hamtpon with Evesham centre, increased by 375% from the council's original estimate of £4.26m in 2021, sparking questions over whether it's worth the expenditure.

Kent, who was a cabinet member in the previous Tory administration before Reform took control in May, said: "The claim that the council is legally bound to proceed is simply untrue.

"Cabinet members should not be misleading residents, or other councillors, about the status of major capital projects. It's time for transparency and accountability, not misinformation."

The Hampton Bridge development has seen its costs spiral to £16m

However, in a joint-statement from the authority's highways chief Karl Perks and deputy leader Rob Wharton said Kent's comments were "not only confused" but "politically opportunistic and deeply misleading".

"There is no signed construction contract for Hampton Bridge – that much is true," they said.

"But that fact alone does not mean the scheme is free from legal, financial, or reputational commitments."

They said these commitments were made during Kent's "own administration", and argued walking away from the project could result in consequences including clawbacks and reputational damage.

A council spokesperson confirmed no contract was in place for the full construction of the bridge, but said there were "a number of agreements" in place with developers, which were worth about £3.7m.

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