News / floating harbour
400-metre path to cost council almost £10m
A pontoon that was originally due to connect Temple Quay with the proposed site of Bristol Arena is years behind schedule and almost four times the cost of the original budget.
The foundations for the 400-metre path have now been installed next to the ferry stop by Valentine’s Bridge with the pontoons built in Spain and due to arrive in Bristol in February.
The value of the original contract to build the walkway with a start date in May 2018 was £2.5m, but the total project budget has now risen to £9.7m.
is needed now More than ever
The full details of the rising costs are contained in an exempt council document unable to be seen by the press or public.
The Harbour Walkway is due to start next to the ferry stop by Valentine’s Bridge – photo: Martin Booth
The path will provide a continuous pedestrian and cycling route on top of the Floating Harbour and aims to “significantly improve access and active travel in this part of the Bristol Temple Quarter regeneration area and is in line with the Council’s ‘Quayside Walkways’ planning policy”.
Funding of £3.5m was originally allocated to the project from the from the sale of the former sorting office site next to Temple Meads, where the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus is being built.
Construction of of the Harbour Walkway was a condition of the land sale agreement between the city council and the university.
The “ambitious and complex” Harbour Walkway is due to connect Totterdown Basin next to Cattle Market Road to the ferry stop by Valentine’s Bridge – photo: Martin Booth
Bristol’s Liberal Democrat group says that the Harbour Walkway “demonstrates the incredible waste of public money” under the former mayoral administration at City Hall.
But Labour have hit back at the Lib Dems, saying that “it’s high time they and their Green Party coalition partners took some ownership and accountability for their role running the council”, adding that “their absence of leadership and ownership is failing our city”.
Lib Dem councillor Nicholas Coombes, who sits on the transport & connectivity committee where the harbour walkway project is due to be discussed on February 6, said: “This outrageous report demonstrates the wastefulness Bristol saw under the former Labour mayor.
“It is a scandal that a 400-metre path should have been allowed to cost the taxpayer close to £10m, with no way out of the contract.
“Sadly, years of mismanagement under Bristol Labour means that this is just another failure inflicted upon the city by the unchecked and unaccountable former mayor.
“No wonder the council is struggling to close a massive budget deficit with this kind of financial inheritance.”
Coombes added: “After half a decade of this project in limbo, it is high time that yet another of Bristol Labour’s messes is cleaned up once and for all.
“The Liberal Democrats are calling for this project to be wrapped up, the path completed, and a stop put to the spiralling costs.”
The Harbour Walkway’s foundations are now complete and the boardwalk itself is due to arrive soon after being built in Spain – photo: martin Booth
A Labour spokesperson told Bristol24/7: “We’re proud the Labour administration spearheaded the regeneration of Temple Quarter.
“As the largest regeneration project in Bristol’s history, it will provide 10,000 new homes, 22,000 new jobs and a £1.6bn boost to the local economy.
“The University of Bristol are investing £300m into the site – this walkway is part of the infrastructure needed to facilitate this investment.
“We’re glad he (Nicholas Coombes) acknowledges this project needs to go ahead, despite his bluster.
“The project will be part funded by a government grant which needs to be spent by 2027.
“Councillor Coombes has repeatedly tried to block the spending of this grant by trying to take all plans back to square one, meaning the council would have to hand back tens of millions of pounds by not meeting the deadline.
“The landslip from April 2024 makes up 50 per cent of the cost increase on this project.
“The Liberal Democrats have chaired the economy & skills committee which oversees the Temple Quarter regeneration project – including the new harbour walkway – since May.
“It’s their responsibility to get a grip of overspends.
“It’s high time they and their Green Party coalition partners took some ownership and accountability for their role running the council.
“Their absence of leadership and ownership is failing our city.
“Only last week, following Labour’s campaign, they shelved their plans to close up to 19 of Bristol’s libraries.
“Despite the plans being drafted by Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Williams, he had the audacity to have a photoshoot outside his local library, claiming he didn’t support his own cuts.
“This is clearly a similar situation. They’re in charge now; they need to spend less time making excuses, be accountable and get on with the job.”
Main image: Bristol Temple Quarter
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