Alun Griffiths has walked away from an £89m bypass project at Banwell in North Somerset only a month after the council was cleared to issue compulsory purchase orders and let the contractor on site.
The scheme involves building a 3.3-km section of single carriageway road from the A371 Summer Lane to the A368 Towerhead Road and was originally due to complete in the summer of 2026.
It has been hit by inflation in materials and labour that pushed the price up from £66m to £89.2m.
Homes England agreed to provide £77.3m, with North Somerset Council agreeing last July to contribute £11.9m, but in November Alun Griffiths had agreed to a £56.5m construction contract, only to quit the job.
North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said: 'Alun Griffiths joined the bypass team in 2021, so it is incredibly frustrating for them to pull out without warning just as they were getting spades in the ground. This is unexpected and unprecedented news and we feel both let down and disappointed, as I’m sure many residents will too.'
Arup is also working for the council, which told Highways it intends to 'get it back in motion as soon as possible'.
The council is in talks with Homes England and said it expects to announce plans to re-procure the job in the coming weeks.
Cllr Bell added: 'Despite challenges created by Griffiths’ decision, I’d like to reassure residents that the council remains committed to the bypass and that we are working closely with partners at Homes England to understand next steps and solutions.
'The Banwell bypass is an important scheme for us and, over the past two years, we have made more progress towards making it a reality than anyone in the century since it was first proposed. This includes designing the scheme in collaboration with local residents, overcoming financial pressures and successfully securing planning permission and Compulsory Purchase Orders.
'Not only would the bypass remove long-standing and intolerable congestion from Banwell, but the wider scheme includes miles of walking and cycling tracks, as well as a substantial bio-diversity net gain. The bypass is also key to unlocking future housing sites, which are vital in seizing the opportunities presented by regional growth.
'As ever, we are focusing our efforts on moving this top-quality scheme forward and delivering for our communities, working alongside partners and doing all we can to get back on track and back on site soon.'
Alun Griffiths and parent company Tarmac declined to comment.
