The long-awaited Toft Hill bypass will not be going ahead – and Durham County Council is blaming the ongoing repair of Whorlton Bridge for eating up funding.
The council’s cabinet met on Wednesday and approved a proposal to withdraw the scheme from the Department for Transport Levelling Up Fund programme.
That programme was intended to support three projects – the Toft Hill bypass, Whorlton Bridge and work on the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage route.
West Auckland Councillor Stephen Gray, who is portfolio holder for transformation, efficiency, digital and procurement, told the meeting that Toft Hill had not been prioritised when the funding was agreed in 2020.
“In particular, Whorlton Bridge was progressed and its costs increased significantly,” he said.
“That choice has consequences.
“What was once deliverable is now presented to us in a very different financial context.”
Instead, there will be approximately £750,000 invested in road safety and traffic calming measures along the A68 through Toft Hill and Etherley.
“The A68 still runs through the village,” he said.
“HGVs still pass front doors and the school gates. We must act responsibly, but we must also ensure that residents are not left without intervention.
“We will progress a local highway improvement scheme through the village. That will make a tangible difference.
“It may not be the transformational bypass originally envisaged, but it will be action.”
A report presented to the council showed that the 2021 Levelling Up Funding allocated £11,928,000 for the bypass and just £3.25m for Whorlton Bridge.
But by January 20, 2026, the total spend on Whorlton Bridge was almost £8.9m, while only £1.6m had been invested in the Toft Hill bypass.
Meanwhile, the revised cost of the bypass has increased to anywhere between £31,576,900 and £36,391,600.
That leaves the council with a shortfall of up to £26.3m.
In addition, the increased cost of the bypass means the new road no longer meets the value-for-money threshold that would make it eligible for additional government funding.
