Documents published by North East Lincolnshire Council reveal the authority will seek to raise its existing £12 million spending cap for repairs to Corporation Bridge.
Initially estimated to cost around £5 million, the refurbishment of the structure is now running nearly two years behind schedule, with spending already surpassing £7 million. The current cap already is more than double the original quoted cost.
Funding for the long-delayed project has so far included a £3 million grant from the Department for Transport, £495,000 from Historic England, and £1.83 million from the Local Transport Fund. However, costs are now expected to rise further, and it remains unclear how any additional expenditure will be financed.
Cabinet will now be asked to approve a ‘temporary’ increase in the spending cap to cover “recently discovered outstanding snagging and defects”.
How much extra is being sought, the total final cost of the scheme, or the precise amount spent to date remain undisclosed. However, the council says that the “cap has not yet been reached, nor is there any immediate likelihood of it being reached”. Papers explained that the increase is needed to allow engagement with the new contractor on a “lump sum basis”, due to the availability of the contractor to mobilise and commence works, and to bring “a degree of clarity and assurance to the Council”.
The report warns that if the increase is not supported, North East Lincolnshire Council may be forced to keep Corporation Road Bridge closed until additional funding is secured, in order to eliminate any risk to highway users. This outcome could also result in the authority having to repay grant funding to the Department for Transport.
The move follows confirmation that Corporation Bridge will remain closed until at least December 2026, with potential delays pushing reopening into late 2027 depending on whether a partial reopening can be achieved.
Councillor Emma Clough, Leader of the Labour Group said the revelation that the cap will be breached “should have been made public months ago”, adding that “despite repeated requests, full costings remain shrouded in secrecy, leaving residents and business owners once again in the dark about how public money is being spent.”
Leader of the Independent Group, Councillor Steve Holland, added: “It appears that the Cabinet will increase the budget up from £12m by a huge amount, but on a ‘temorary’ basis. This implies they expect to get money back that has already been spent. That is a very high risk strategy. This whole issue needs to be urgently debated now by all councillors at a Full Council meeting and I think it is time for an external financial audit to ‘follow the money’.”
A Cabinet meeting to determine the next steps for the remaining works and consider the proposed cap increase will be held tonight, Thursday 30 October.
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.