Councillor Stewart Swinburn, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Infrastructure and Transport, has issued a long-awaited apology for the ongoing delays to the Corporation Bridge scheme – nine months after telling Gi Grimsby News that he did not believe local businesses were owed one.
Work on what was originally planned as an £5 million, 11-month project began in February 2022. Instead, the bridge has now been closed for approximately 27 months – with no contractor currently on site, and no exact completion date or final cost made available to the public.
In August 2024, amid growing frustration and following the first official confirmation of issues within the project, both residents and fellow councillors began calling for accountability and an apology. Speaking at the time, Councillor Swinburn said that he didn’t agree with the claim that the footfall of local businesses had been impacted. When asked whether he believed local businesses deserved an apology, Councillor Swinburn told Gi Grimsby News: “No, I don’t think they do.”
Now, in a recent North East Lincolnshire Council Q&A session, Councillor Swinburn appeared to have changed his stance, offering a “sincere apology to residents, commuters and especially to the local businesses affected by the ongoing delays.”
Despite the apology and recently renewed calls for his resignation, Councillor Swinburn dismissed the idea, saying that stepping down “won’t solve the problem.”
He added: “This has taken far longer than anyone anticipated, and I fully recognise the disruption it has caused to daily routines, to trade and to confidence in the project.
“I understand how frustrating this has been, and believe me I share that frustration. I also understand the public frustration around the delays and the rising cost of the Corporation Bridge refurbishment.”
He added: “What we need is a commitment to transparency, accountability and learning. Not a blame game.“
The Q&A session yielded no new information regarding timings or costs.
