A recent report by Surrey Live says:
Ash level crossing closure costs set to rocket to £40m
A delayed scheme to close the Ash level crossing could now cost £40million, nearly double the original estimates.
Councillors heard at a meeting of Guildford Borough Council's overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday (March 1) that works to replace the "dangerous" level crossing with a bridge were now likely to cost more because of delays approving the plans.
Councillor Fiona White (Liberal Democrat, Westborough) asked for an update on plans to replace the level crossing because of "huge amounts of development" taking place in the area and traffic levels increasing after the coronavirus pandemic, saying "the holdups are getting bad again."
Land to the south and east of Ash and Tongham was allocated for a total of 1,750 homes in the council's 2019 local plan.
Councillor John Rigg (Residents for Guildford and Villages, Holy Trinity), lead councillor for regeneration, said one of the first things he did when he took over the major projects portfolio was to look at costs, and that he found the cost of the bridge was "no longer £20m, it was likely closer to 40 million."
He added: "After an awful lot of negotiations, we got a grant of £23.7m. There's still a lot for us to find."
He said that delays approving the bridge on the Network Rail side were increasing the cost of the project.
No representative from Network Rail was present at the meeting, and the company has been contacted for comment.
Cllr Rigg said a "shortage of resources" and a recent meeting cancelled because of train cancellations during storms were causing delays but that council officers were "pressing them hard".
He asked: "How long will Network Rail take to approve a bridge, a simple straightforward bridge, designed by our expert consultants? How long is a piece of string? It's very disappointing."
Earlier in the meeting he had said: "We're delivering infrastructure for Surrey County Council, and to remove a dangerous level crossing for Network Rail.
"Neither are contributing to the cost. Network Rail, through delays in approving our bridge design, are causing serious concerns and cost price inflation."
According to an earlier council timeline, works on the bridge should have already started in the winter 2021/22, with a projected opening of spring/summer 2023.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Closing a level crossing is not a straightforward process and it always involves a lot of work for both ourselves and the local authorities.
"We are very pleased to be working with Guildford Borough Council to close this level crossing, which has a history of misuse by pedestrians. The proposed footbridge will also make it easier for passengers at Ash to change between services on the Alton and North Downs lines."
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/ash-level-crossing-closure-costs-23275822
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