The council went out to public consultation over preferred routes for the bypass, which would improve the link between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, last year.

But now the council says that the scheme will have to be delayed while more analysis of recent government changes is completed.

One of the changes means the council will be hit with an unexpected bill of eight million pounds.

After completing the Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass, the next step was to improve traffic flows through Wing and Rowsham.

During the consultation, which took place in June 2006, the council said it would make a decision on a preferred route by this month.

But now the council says it cannot meet this deadline.

This news will no doubt anger local residents whose hopes had been raised that an end was in sight to the many traffic problems they have experienced over the years.

To comment on this or any other Bucks Herald story, click here.

To post comments directly on this website, click on the Comment on this Story link below


In a statement, the council says the following changes have come in which have affected the scheme:

· New guidance was released on September 5th 2007 on how major schemes are funded has changed. The outcome of this is that Local Authorities now have to fund 10% of the cost of the scheme. A project like the A418 Improvements presented at consultation would cost around £80 Million; therefore, the Council would have to find £8Million.

· The new guidance also outlined the funding implications if the scheme overspends. Schemes of this size could overspend due to unexpected developments on site e.g. unforeseen ground conditions. Central Government have now said that Local Authorities will have to pay 50% to 100% of overspend costs which is a concern for the County Council as these could run into millions of pounds. The implications of this new guidance need to be reviewed.

· Central Government are reviewing the way schemes are assessed and revised guidance is due to be issued in 2008. The new assessment is likely to put more importance on environmental factors and value for money. Without knowing much more about the assessment work that is needed at this stage we cannot guarantee the scheme will meet the new criteria.

· SEERA (South East England Regional Assembly) is the body which decides which schemes will be funded. A list of regional schemes was drawn up in October 2006 and put in priority order. The A418 Improvements were excluded from current funding up to 2016. The list is due to be reviewed in 2008 and this will show whether the scheme has been reprioritised and will get any funding in the near future.

·The draft South East Plan has recently been through a thorough examination by an independent panel appointed by the Government. The findings of the examination were released in September 2007, and the panel recommended that the number of new homes proposed in the Plan should increase by 10%. It also has proposed increased housing numbers for all Buckinghamshire Districts including in the north around Milton Keynes. The panel report did support improved road and rail links between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes but the County Council feels it would be better to wait until Central Government makes a final decision on the South East Plan (expected at the end of 2007) before deciding on a preferred route option.

· Bedfordshire County which borders Wing to the east also has planned growth which may affect the decision on the A418 Improvements. Numbers of houses and locations of housing will influence the choice of route. Therefore, the Council feels it would be prudent to wait until a preferred location for housing is announced before going forward

· Following the public consultation the County Council is working with Friends of the Earth to carry out a study into possible alternatives to the A418 Improvements scheme. This looks at smaller scale transport/ highway improvements within Wing and Rowsham and public transport measures which could potentially negate the need for a new dual carriageway. This report is not finalised but is expected later this year.

Cabinet Member for Transportation, Valerie Letheren, said: "I know this will come as a disappointment to some local residents but it is essential that we make the right decision at the right time. We will keep people informed of the outcome of these uncertainties when they are resolved but unfortunately we cannot put any definite timescales on the progression of the scheme."