Alun Griffiths鈥� withdrawal from the 拢90m project comes less than a month after the secretary of state approved compulsory purchase orders needed for the scheme.
It had started enabling works to prepare the area for the bypass鈥� main construction but has now stopped work.
Councillor Mike Bell, leader of North Somerset Council, said: 鈥淎lun 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鈥檓 sure many residents will too.
鈥淒espite challenges created by Griffiths鈥� decision, I鈥檇 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.
鈥淭he 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.
鈥淭his includes designing the scheme in collaboration with local residents, overcoming financial pressures and successfully securing planning permission and compulsory purchase orders.聽
鈥淣ot 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.
鈥淎s ever, we are focussing 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.鈥�
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