A decision on whether to restore an abandoned railway line between Portishead in North Somerset and Bristol has been delayed for another 10 months.
Transport secretary Grant Shapp was due to make a decision on the application this month but it has now been extended until February 19, 2023.
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the extension will allow North Somerset Council “further time” to demonstrate funding for the scheme has been secured.
The council now has until November 30 to respond to the issues outlined by the transport secretary, including how increased costs will be met.
However, the local authority said it was “incredibly disappointed” about the delay to approving the development consent order (DCO) and that it would have “further cost implications” for the scheme.
Councillor Don Davies, leader of North Somerset Council, has slammed the DfT over the delay, saying the Government was “undermining” the council’s ability to deliver the project.
He said: “The DfT are key funding partners, alongside the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council. By not committing any further funding, they are undermining our ability to deliver the project. We will continue to lobby the Government for additional funding to address the shortfall."
The council first submitted its application to restore the railway line in November 2019 as part of MetroWest Phase 1. If approved, the £116m scheme will see the re-opening of the Portishead to Bristol branch and improve passenger services on the Severn Beach and Westbury/Bath to Bristol lines.
The application process also included an examination in public which took six months and ended in April 2021. A report on the plans was submitted to the transport secretary in July last year, with a decision due in October 2021. But the DfT deferred the decision by six months after raising environmental concerns, which were later addressed by the council.
Some campaigners have claimed a dedicated bus lane between Bristol and Portishead would be £100m cheaper than reopening the railway - and would result in lower emissions.
Mr Davies added: “Despite these delays, the Portishead line remains a key scheme putting jobs and infrastructure into the heart of our economic growth strategy, creating sustainable travel links around the area.
"The financial challenges for the project as a result of increased costs from the pandemic and construction and energy inflation are very significant, in addition to further costs of delay posed by today’s announcement.”
A spokesperson for the DfT added: “The decision to set the new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent for the above application.”
In February, Network Rail launch a search for contractors to build the proposed line.
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