Kirklees Council takes on responsibility for Cooper Bridge scheme despite concerns over finances
Kirklees Council is taking control of the Cooper Bridge scheme, despite a call for “severe guarantees” around financial risk.
The A62 to Cooper Bridge Corridor Improvement Scheme spans the border of both Kirklees and Calderdale councils, though the majority of it lies within Kirklees Council’s administrative area.
The scheme, which is intended to provide highway benefits, improve bus journey times and reliability, support bus franchising, and unlock new housing and employment land, comes with a £53.5m price tag and is being funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).
Due to its focus on the area, Kirklees Council had been asked to take on more powers from Calderdale Council to deliver the scheme, with this narrowly agreed by members at the full council meeting earlier this month.
This means that when the time comes, a single planning application will be determined by Kirklees Council. Kirklees will also implement the planning consent and monitor compliance with its conditions or obligations on Calderdale’s land as well as its own.
On top of this, Kirklees Council will assume more financial responsibility, including the risks associated with going over budget and all future costs associated with the determination of the plans and their implementation.
This rang alarm bells for Coun Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield) who sought clarity on the financial implication for the council. He highlighted instances where funding has run out and schemes have been pulled in the past.
He said: “I want severe guarantees from this about how we will cope with this, because the last thing we want is to progress down this, to further raise another generation of residents’ hopes that this scheme will alleviate one of the most significant bottlenecks in West Yorkshire.”
Coun Bolt asked for a “categoric statement” from cabinet members about what the financial risk to the council is.
Leader of the Conservative Group, Coun David Hall, agreed that assurances were needed and wanted to know how great a risk the additional financial responsibility posed to the council.
He said: “There are questions to be answered about this because it says in paragraph 3.2 ‘should scheme costs escalate, and exceed the funding allocation, there is no guarantee that WYCA would fund any shortfall’.”
Coun Graham Turner, cabinet member for finance and regeneration, said: “As with any big scheme, there’s always a financial risk, especially at this moment in time – we’ve all seen pictures of the last nine, 11 days, or however long it’s been of things going on that will have a direct impact on our pockets.
“So yes, there is a financial risk, but I’m sure that when we cost the scheme up fully, that’ll be taken into account and we will do our absolute best if there is a cost overrun, to prize the money out of WYCA.”
The proposals scraped through by 23 votes to 20, with members of Labour and the Greens voting in favour. Lib Dem councillors voted against, as did the majority of the Conservative group. The remaining members either voted against or abstained.
With powers now accepted by Kirklees Council, a period of public consultation is expected to take place this summer, with a planning application due to be submitted in the autumn.