The price of steel was blamed for the rising cost of the walking and cycling bridge.

Councilors have questioned why the cost of building the Hampton Bridge in Evesham, Worcestershire, has tripled from an estimated £4.26 million in 2021.

Councilor Matt Jenkins said this was up 375% to £16 million and this could not be entirely limited to the cost of steel.

Mark Bayliss, the county council’s highways chief, said steel prices had risen significantly and the bridge and walkway were an important structure.

“This is an important structure, not only the bridge but also the walkway over the floodplain is steel construction. “A large part of the increase is due to this,” he said.

He added that the council did not have a design for the Hampton bridge in 2021, when permission was granted for the bridge, only a draft.

The bridge being built is “significantly longer” than first proposed as it spans a historic meadow as well as the Avon.

Jenkins said perhaps the city should wait until it has a design and a better idea of ​​costs before moving forward with projects so city council members can make informed decisions.

This news was collected as follows: Local Democracy Reporting Service Includes councils and other public service organisations.