Council boss demands delayed £38m bridge updates

The bridge over the A46 near Kenilworth remains incomplete

A council leader has demanded regular updates on a delayed bridge project following accusations of “secrecy” and “mismanagement”.

The planned £38m bridge over the A46 Stoneleigh Junction was due to be completed in the summer of 2022.

However, an unconnected bridge, which aims to reduce congestion in Kenilworth, remains unused over the road.

Warwickshire County Council leader Izzi Seccombe requested updates after Richard Dickson, a Warwick district councillor, made a scathing assessment of the project at a meeting on Thursday.

The West Midlands Combined Authority, which put £6.6m into the project, has already waded into the dispute, requesting a progress report.

It revealed there had been a “contractual dispute” between the county council and its contractors Colas, which was compounded by problems sourcing some materials.

Warwickshire County Council leader Izzi Seccombe requested a "running update of questions and responses" about the bridge

The report highlighted a number of times that Warwickshire County Council was responsible for any cost overruns, currently estimated by the county to be £4.6m, before offering a revised estimated completion date of “mid-2025”, a timescale the county has yet to comment publicly on.

“The continued problems with this huge project, and the continued secrecy surrounding it, undermines trust in the council and in its elected representatives,” Dickson said.

“This project is an icon of council mismanagement. In due course, others will be able to show they can do better but for now, surely it’s time to come clean with the public and to come up with some answers as to what on earth is going on.”

In response to a number of questions on the project, Seccombe said: “I am aware you have been here twice and I think it is of particular interest to a number of people, so I am looking at an opportunity to ensure we have a running update of questions and responses that we can give for all local people.

"That is something I have asked for so please bear with me to set that one in motion.”

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