Queensway Gateway: funding stand-off continues
The dispute between East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and the not-for-profit regeneration company Sea Change Sussex over financial responsibility for completion of the Queensway Gateway road project which we revealed in our news report last month – Stand-off over Road Funding – has not so far been resolved. That much was made clear at a meeting of the Accountability Board of SELEP (South East Local Enterprise Partnership) last Friday when Richard Dawson, the council’s Head of Economic Development, described the progress, or rather lack of progress, of the project in the two months since the previous Board meeting in September.
CREDIT: Dave Young
In his written report to the Board in advance of the meeting, Mr Dawson explained that a Road Safety Audit, required by the National Highways authority (NH) in connection with traffic signals to be installed at the junction with the A21, was still being undertaken. Without relevant technical approvals from NH, the final designs and drawings could not be produced, and therefore the overall budget could not be calculated. In the meantime “ongoing discussions between Sea Change and ESCC continue”, he wrote, “on the overall funding package and confirming the contractual position to be applied for the delivery of the connection to the A21… ESCC recognises that this is far from ideal, but to proceed without agreement on the overall funding package, the contractual position and the technical approvals… would increase the level of risk for construction, delivery and outcome.”
It must be inferred from this convoluted phraseology that ESCC will only be willing to settle accounts between themselves and Sea Change when it is known what total sum of costs will be incurred in completing the project. On the other hand Mr Dawson did not produce any evidence – still less offer any assurance – that Sea Change would undertake completion of the project, whatever the outstanding cost may turn out to be, without receiving full further funding.
Addressing the Board members in person at last Friday’s meeting, Mr Dawson took these matters no further. He described the funding negotiations between Sea Change and ESCC as still “ongoing”. No timelines were offered.
The Board in its turn had little option but to “note the latest update position on the delivery of the project” and to direct that it be provided with a further update at its next meeting on 10 March 2023, three and a half months on. Board chair Sarah Dance expressed her concern, however, that Sea Change still appear to be claiming that a previous offer of funding contribution by the company had been “flagged as a temporary contingency”, and that no alternative sources had been identified if Sea Change won’t contribute. There doesn’t seem to be any prospect of SELEP offering more funding. So, must ESCC – or rather its rates and council tax payers – ultimately foot the bill?
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It looks very like this dispute is heading for 2066 when we can then call it the ‘ongoing battle of Hastings’!! That aside, did we ever establish the land ownership of the part the road crosses was ever finalised, wasn’t that the initial sticking point?