Council says Leamington station improvements will be done 'within budget' as repaving works take place

Works to improve Leamington Station are now reaching their final stages with Warwickshire County Council defending the overall cost of the project.

The main body of the works was completed in July ready for when Leamington hosted the bowls competitions and Warwick hosted the cycling road races for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

But now, a programme of snagging list works including repaving of the station’s forecourt , is taking place.

This prompted Courier reader Bruno Eurich to ask “who is footing the bill for this?”.

In response, the county council has provided a break down of the cost of the project.

The final cost of construction works to date is £1.195 million with a final invoice to be issued by the end of the calendar year, expected to be approximately £0.184 million.

This brings the total cost of construction to £1.379 million and with preliminary and detailed design costing £500,000 and surveys costing £52,000 the final cost of the project will be £1.931million.

Works have been paid for through a £1.510 million contribution from Warwick District Council, £221,000 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and £200,000 from Warwickshire County Council (WCC).

WCC Councillor Wallace Redford said: “Improvement works to the station have allowed for a significant transformation into an integrated transport hub, making it easier for commuters to cycle to the station and keep cars off the roads in line with our ongoing commitment to sustainable transport.”

"The improvements also showcased the gateway to Leamington at the Commonwealth Games, when many commuters visited the town.

"The increased profile the town enjoyed throughout the Games will have a lasting legacy on the numbers of visitors to the town bringing money to the local economy and vibrancy to the area. Now, when they visit, they will have a favourable impression from the moment they arrive."