City of York Council’s City Development Director Garry Taylor told councillors changes making the scheme comply with accessibility standards cost £2 million to £3 million while construction inflation was running at 35 per cent.
Cllr Katie Lomas, the council’s Labour finance spokesperson, said she was looking at changes to the way major projects are tracked so increases in costs could be better monitored.
But Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said the council needed to get a grip on the huge increases in costs which threatened to affect spending in other areas.
It comes as the council’s Executive is set to discuss options to address shortfalls in the Station Gateway and York Outer Ring Road projects in July.
The scheme to dual the ring road from the A19 and Little Hopgrove roundabout is now estimated to cost around £164 million, compared to £66.4 million when it was approved in 2024.
There is currently £51 million left in the budget for that project.
Members of the council’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee heard this week that officials were also reviewing the Castle Gateway scheme for the area around Clifford’s Tower.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- 'They’ve dithered and delayed': Anger over major York projects funding crisis
- Combined Authority to 'make the case to Government' after £128m York shortfall
- York Outer Ring Road dualling could be staggered to allow time to find funding
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A national expansion of free school meals has been welcomed in York
