CONCERNS have been raised about the town’s Nailers Yard redevelopment with one councillor saying it ‘may be turning into Bromsgrove’s own HS2.’
The scheme is aimed at transforming the former Market Hall site into a new commercial building offering office space, ground-floor restaurant space and a rooftop food and drink outlet.
However, at a Bromsgrove District Council meeting on Wednesday, concerns were raised about the cost of the Nailers Yard project.
Computer generated images of the new Market Hall site. Bromsgrove District Council/One Creative Environment. s
Coun Charlie Hotham said the development appeared to be turning into Bromsgrove’s very own HS2, describing it as ‘a vanity project with a huge overspend’.
But council leader Coun Karen May has hit back at claims of a more than £5million cost to the Bromsgrove Council taxpayer, saying the extra cash coming out of the authority’s bank account is estimated to be £165,000.
The cost for the Nailers Yard project was estimated to be £10,399,000 in 2021, with Coun Hotham claiming it would now cost £15,742,000.
He said: “This is a £5,343,000 overspend funded by the council taxpayers of Bromsgrove.
“What actions is the Cabinet Member responsible for taking to control this 51 per cent cost increase?”
Coun May, who is also cabinet member for Strategic Partnerships, Economic Development and Enabling, said the cost for the project was now £15,004,552, more than £700,000 less than Coun Hotham claimed.
She said that the cost increase to the Bromsgrove council taxpayer from the authority’s bank account is therefore £165,000 as matters stand, not £5,343,000 as Coun Hotham suggested.
Coun May told the council the 44.29 per cent cost increase for the Nailers Yard project was due to inflationary cost increases, the cost of underground obstructions and additional necessary work associated with the culvert which runs through the site.
Bromsgrove District Council has £17.694million of funding committed to the Levelling Up Programme for a range of works, including the Nailers Yard development.
Coun May said the £4,605,552 overspend on the Nailers Yard project had been funded by additional grant funding secured by the council and an underspend on the public realm project from the levelling up cash.
She added a further £2.425million is to be made available via Birmingham City Council as Bromsgrove’s allocation of funding from the now defunct Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP.
However, Coun Hotham said: “Irrespective of how big the overspend is, it’s taxpayer money.
“People of Bromsgrove pay council tax, they also pay income tax, we are all paying for this, it isn’t coming from the magic money tree.”
Coun May said the project was being monitored very closely.
