The cost of building the Middlewich Eastern Bypass has soared by 10 per cent because of the government delay in signing off the funding.

The long-awaited scheme is now expected to cost £107.67 million – an increase of £9.73 million on the previously quoted figure of £97.94 million.

A report to this week's meeting of Cheshire East Council's corporate policy committee states: "The £97.94 million budget was predicated on the construction works commencing in 2025.

"However, a DfT (Department for Transport) funding decision was significantly delayed and the start date has been pushed back to 2026."

The new 1.6-mile bypass will connect Pochin Way in the north of Middlewich to the A533 Booth Lane in the south, including a new bridge over the Sandbach-Northwich railway line.

It will also feature a combined cycleway and footway.

Residents have been campaigning for the much-needed new road for more than 40 years.

In April 2024, the scheme was delayed when the previous Conservative government refused to stump up funding saying the overall value for money in Cheshire East's business case was 'poor'.

The council submitted a revised full business case in September 2024 and had expected a decision from the current Labour government in February of this year.

The DfT decision to grant the £46.78 million funding didn't come until July.

The report to the meeting states: "The late DfT grant decision caused the seasonal construction start window to be missed and a one-year delay to planned construction start."

The cash-strapped council says it cannot incur any additional borrowing to fund the extra £9.73 million cost.

Its request to the DfT to increase the grant contribution was refused.

The council now proposes to allocate funding from other highway capital programme budgets and request a decision in principle on the use of local transport grant funding from the shadow board of Cheshire's new combined authority.

It is also looking at selling extra land along the bypass route.

The committee will be asked on Thursday to accept the remainder of the DfT grant funding and approve the recommended increase in the allocated budget for the bypass scheme.

The meeting takes place at 9am on Thursday, November 27, at Delamere House in Crewe.