Agenda item

Report of Councillor Bridger (attached)

Councillor Cartman presented the report noting that it was coming to Council because costs had increased and an additional £10m capital funding commitment was being sought.  He added that the cost of not proceeding with the project would be £15m with the total cost to North Somerset taxpayers of £20m if it went ahead.  Councillor Cartman informed members that it was expected the government would underwrite any additional cost increases that resulted from inflation.  The additional funding required for the project was being met by the council, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), and the Department for Transport (DfT) but that the council’s decision to inject more funds was contingent on decisions of other bodies to also increase their funding and that the council would not bear future overrun costs.

In debating the report, members noted that the project was long overdue but welcomed the council’s continuous commitment to the project which had been driven forwards by both previous and current administrations.  They noted the government was de-risking the project in underwriting future cost increases and asked the further public engagement with Portishead residents and the town council take place to consider other solutions to the ongoing traffic problems in the town. 

Members queried the risk in operational costs and noted an £11m shortfall over the first 4 to 5 years.  Officers responded that further work was taking place with WECA and the DfT but that the £11m covered the entire suite of the MetroWest project not just the Portishead rail line.  Members also noted their concern with the reduction of the length of the platform and queried whether a longer platform and station would be required in the future as demand grew.  It was suggested that Portishead would also gain from the forthcoming Bus Service Improvement Plan and new placemaking strategies to support transport problems within the town.

Motion: moved by Councillor Cartman and seconded by Councillor James it was

Resolved: that the Council

1.       Noted the project update and that the project was currently paused, and will remain paused, while formal confirmations were awaited from the Department for Transport and the West of England Combined Authority regarding additional funding required to take the project forward, as set out in recommendations 2 and 3 of the report;

2.       Agreed that, subject to:

a.     approval of the final business case (anticipated autumn 2023),

b.     confirmation from the West of England Combined Authority of increased capital funding of £10m

c.     confirmation of increased contribution to capital funding by Department for Transport of £15.58m, and

d.     confirmation by the Department for Transport that it will take the delivery risk for all the railway works,

that the North Somerset Council capital funding contribution to MetroWest be increased by £10m, to be funded from borrowing, and

3.       That the capital budget be amended to increase the budget by £35.58m to £152.01m to be funded by the additional £10m as per recommendation 2, a further £15.58m by the Department for Transport and a further £10m by the West of England Combined Authority (subject to formal confirmation by the Department for Transport and the West of England Combined Authority).