Part of £102m cycling, walking and bus route work on hold

Parts of a major programme to improve cycling, walking and bus routes are to be put on hold as the £102million budget can no longer cover the costs of the work.

BCP Council and Dorset Council were awarded £79million from the Department for Transport’s transforming cities fund (TCF) for the south east Dorset region.

This was topped up by around £23million from the councils, business groups and transport companies.

The investment was due to deliver 78 kilometres of new cycle and walking options and bus improvements across six “sustainable travel routes”.

Work has already started on part of all six routes, with various sections at 10 locations complete or under way.

However, it has now been confirmed to the Daily Echo the councils have tabled revised plans to the Government department with parts of the original programme deferred until more money can be found.

No details have been given on which schemes in the programme will be put on hold as a result of the funding issue.

The local authorities said escalating costs of construction materials and labour due to the pandemic, and rising fuel costs and inflation were factors in the finance problem.

Changes to the national design standards for cycling infrastructure had also had a “considerable” impact since the funding was awarded in March 2020.

A spokesperson for south east Dorset’s transforming cities fund programme said: “These unforeseen financial increases, which are outside of BCP Council and Dorset Council’s control, mean the TCF budget is no longer sufficient to cover the full network of cycle, walking and bus improvements originally planned across the region.

“As part of a national TCF review by central government of all 12 city-regions who received TCF funding, we have submitted revised plans proposing the improvements that can continue to be constructed and funded through south east Dorset’s TCF and those that are proposed to be deferred until further funding has been secured.