Cost to repair moving river bank rises to £860k

The cost of repairing a section of river wall in a city has more than doubled, councillors have been told.

Labour-controlled Cambridge City Council had approved the spending of £375,000 on repairs to a section of bank near Jesus Lock on the River Cam in Cambridge.

But a council committee heard how the estimated bill had risen to more than £860,000, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Investigations had shown a "previously unknown cause of movement" along a 100-metre (320ft) stretch, the report said.

Detail of the reasons for the increase have been outlined in an officer's report presented to the council's strategy and resources scrutiny committee.

The report says a section measuring about 100 m (about 320 ft) between Jesus Green Lido and Jesus Green Lock has been moving in "recent times".

It said £375,000 had been approved to cover the cost of repairs.

But councillors have been told that further investigation, including an underwater survey, has revealed a bigger problem.

The report said a "complete new/replacement wall structure" was needed, making the revised, estimated total bill £862,000.

The council has said it needs to make millions in savings in the coming years in order to continue to balance the books.

Papers presented to a committee recently revealed that a projected budget gap in the next five years had risen from £9.5m to £11.5m.

The council has set out a target to make £6m of savings by April 2026, and then a further £5.5m savings by 2029.

The city council said: "A complete new-replacement wall structure is now required in front of the existing wall for the length of defect.

"This will require an additional budget bid of £487,000, bringing the estimated total project cost across all phases up to £862,000.

"It is proposed that this is funded from unallocated general fund capital receipts."

At the committee meeting, councillor Naomi Bennett said she was aware the work on the riverbank had "started some time ago", but said it had been paused as it was a protected wildlife habitat.

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