Bridgend Council is set to drop a proposal for a brand new highways depot (pdf).
The existing Waterton depot is described as being in a “poor condition” and proposals for a replacement first emerged in 2016.
Since then, the expected costs rose from the original £3.5million to just over £8.1million. Capital funding for a depot has been included in nearly every annual budget, but no progress has been made.
Some of the earmarked capital funding for the new depot was also redirected to the Maesteg Town Hall project.
Another problem emerged when the Parc Afon Ewenni development site – where the new depot would have been built – was dropped from the Local Development Plan over revised flood projections.
As BCBC failed to find a suitable alternative site, their preferred option is to refurbish the existing depot at Waterton. The urgent priorities are new salt and storage tanks, upgraded vehicle wash facilities, replacing the rooves of existing buildings and drainage improvements.
Around half of the funding for a new depot was expected to come from Parc Afon Ewenni land sales. As that isn’t going to happen, only the most urgent refurbishment works will be taken forward.
It’s anticipated the most urgent works can be completed for £3.6million already earmarked from BCBC’s own capital funds, with lower-priority works being subject to future funding bids.
