The North East will have to wait to find out whether or not the Government will hand over a final £6 million promised for the restoration of the Tyne Bridge, a transport minister has warned.
Lilian Greenwood told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she expects to announce a decision on the last piece of funding for the iconic bridge’s repairs after the conclusion of Labour’s Spending Review in the spring. Local council bosses have grown increasingly exasperated at the delays to the cash, which was originally pledged in October 2023 under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative administration, and are demanding answers on when or if it will arrive.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has put an initial £35.2 million towards the Tyne Bridge’s first major maintenance for more than 20 years, allowing the work to start last April, but the final piece of funding was put under review after Labour came to power. The Government has been warned that U-turning on the £6.2 million commitment would mean the grade II* listed structure will not be restored to the quality expected ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2028.
Ms Greenwood, the future of roads minister, refused on Thursday to offer any assurances. She told the LDRS: “The Newcastle MPs have all been talking to me about the Tyne Bridge and I know it is an absolutely iconic structure and coming up to its centenary. The truth is the previous government made promises that they simply didn’t have the money to keep.
“We have inherited this £22 billion black hole, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport commitments, so we are looking at all of our capital projects in the context of the Spending Review to see what we are able to do. I am absolutely committed to trying to help Newcastle City Council to get the bridge in a beautiful state in time for its centenary, but I have got to do it in the context of the money that is available.”
Former transport secretary Louise Haigh announced the review of her department’s capital spending last summer, since when Labour has scrapped plans to dual the A1 in Northumberland after it was deemed the project would have cost more than £500 million.
Speaking to the LDRS on a visit to Seaton Burn, Ms Greenwood added: “We are doing a capital review at the moment, we have got to identify where are the most important strategic places to put the funding we do have available. But the envelope will be set at the Spending Review and that is when I expect to be able to make announcements on projects including the Tyne Bridge.”
Engineers have already identified more than 1,000 repairs that need to be carried out on the Tyne Bridge during its four-year revamp. As well as a full repaint, the rusted crossing is in need of a large number of essential structural fixes – including to its steelwork, concrete, and waterproofing.
In a joint letter being sent to transport secretary Heidi Alexander, two leading Tyneside councillors say they “urgently need clarity on the release of the promised funding”. Newcastle City Council deputy leader Alex Hay and Gateshead Council transport chief John McElroy wrote: “We are seeking a clear commitment from the government to provide the additional funding necessary to reinstate a full restoration programme.
“This is a once-in-a- generation opportunity to restore a much-loved icon of national and historical significance, and it is what the people of our region expect and deserve.
“Given the importance of this project in creating a lasting legacy for the North East, we would like to invite you to visit the Tyne Bridge and see the complex restoration work first hand. We are happy to accommodate your schedule to arrange a suitable date. We look forward to your response and to working with you to secure the future of this iconic structure.”
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