A COUNCIL has revealed significant financial pressures are causing delays to some of its construction projects.

On Thursday, November 3, the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet approved changes to the authority’s capital programme – one-off payments the council sets aside for major construction works, improvements and other schemes.

Of the current approved £95.1 million spending programme for 2022-23, £2.5 million will be slipped into the following year.

In this case, slippage is money that has not been spent on a capital project because of delays to its completion, or the project not having been started at all, and passed on into the following year.

At a recent cabinet meeting, the leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Lis Burnett, said: “The capital programme is currently subject to significant inflationary pressures due to the current economic climate and that is not getting easier.

“This is leading to greater negotiation than usual with contractors and the need to re-tender and value engineers… amend the design to try and bring in something which is more economically acceptable and consequently scheme start dates are being delayed.

“There are also still issues with long lead times on the delivery of materials, especially in relation to the purchase of vehicles and some building materials.”

Some of the projects that are seeing delays include:

  • Lighting renewal at Ysgol Sant Curig in Barry – £56,000 is being carried forward into the 2023-24 capital programme;
  • Review alterations of parking permit schemes – £55,000 to be carried forward into the 2023-24 capital programme;
  • High level glazing works at Penarth Leisure Centre – £1,546,000 to be carried into the 2023-24 capital programme;
  • Barry Regeneration Partnership Fund – £689,000 to be carried into the 2023-24 capital programme;
  • Murchfield Community Sports Facilities – £178,000 to be carried into the 2023-24 capital programme.

Cllr Burnett added that more delays could be expected further down the line.

She said: “Further slippage, if we are totally straight, is anticipated later in the financial year.”

On the slippage of funds for the Penarth Leisure Centre project, Cllr Burnett said: “This is due to the complexity of the work required and the nature of the works to be undertaken.

“It wouldn’t be prudent to carry out the scheme during the winter months and the earliest start date that officers recommend is March 2023, so that has been pushed over into the next year.”