The cost of a controversial sea wall in West Kirby has risen to over £15m according to councillors.
Cllr Andrew Gardner, who represents Hoylake and Meols, claimed at a Wirral Council budget meeting construction costs had risen by £4.5m during a discussion of finances for the next financial year.
Cllr Gardner added: “I’ll be fair I know it’s not our money but it’s public money and some of that money is our money and we have to pay it back.”
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The sea wall has been controversial with some it arguing it would ruin the look of the area as well as concerns over the cost of the scheme. The loss of car parking space in the town as a result of the building works has also hit businesses hard.
However those in favour argue it will help save lives and protect properties along the seafront from storms and sea level rises. Photos published by the council showed what the wall looks like with various features along its length.
Cllr Gardner and Cllr Liz Grey, who chairs Wirral's environment committee told the ECHO the cost of the seawall had now risen to over £15m though most of the funding has come from the UK government and the Environment Agency, not Wirral Council.
The new funding, which Cllr Grey said is £4.4m, is up for consideration at the local authority’s next environment committee meeting. Cllr Grey said the scheme was still on schedule to finish in spring but though some final touches will be made into the summer.
Cllr Grey said costs had been driven up by Brexit and former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ mini budget which “scuppered the original costings as the cost of all materials have gone up.”
She added: “The ward councillors did encourage a lot of changes and that added costs and of course there were ground work issues.
“They found that some of the Victorian foundations needed additional groundworks. It is partly aesthetics and partly it is groundwork to make sure it was fit for purpose but the biggest factor was the massive inflationary hike in terms of procurement.”
Cllr Grey said the additional money was coming from the Environment Agency and “not a single penny extra by the council.” She said £7.3m for the scheme came from external flood grants, another £3.3m in additional government grants, and £1.6m from the regional flood authority.
She said £3.8m came from Wirral Council though a portion of that funding came through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Cllr Gardner said: “I’m not averse to investing in local infrastructure but the real issue is was the wall really needed and did it need to be that big?
“I think the first stage consultation asked “would you like some flood alleviation” and people said yes but why wouldn’t you and the second asked what colour the wall should be. People would be a lot more happy if they had been properly consulted.”
Cllr Gardner said: “We have lost a lot of the personality of West Kirby,” adding: “Traders have been brought to their knees and some of them have closed while the construction has doubled. They have been severely damaged by the loss of two hundred car parking spaces in West Kirby.”
Cllr Grey previously said multiple consultations and public workshops had been held over the years and the project had been heavily scrutinised by independent inspectors.
She previously described the project as "a rather beautiful piece of public realm infrastructure and the residents I’ve spoken to are very pleased with what’s there.”
Cllr Grey added: "It’s going to protect lives, property and businesses and is already proving to be an attraction itself.”
West Kirby councillor, Mayor Jeff Green, in response to Cllr Gardner’s comments at the meeting on February 27 said: “I hope they do agree to the extra resources from the Environment Agency because I’ve been invited to go down and open it so I hope they don’t leave it half finished would be my basic suggestion.”
A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “These matters are the subject of a report which will be debated by members at the next meeting of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee on 14th March.”
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