Costs relating to the Five Mile Lane revamp are set to go up by hundreds of thousands of pounds as work to compensate landowners continues.
Work to improve the A4226 in the Vale of Glamorgan was completed in 2019 and at a cost of £25.8 million.
However, work to compensate people affected by compulsory purchase orders for the land needed to carry out the scheme is ongoing.
Vale of Glamorgan Council employed the services of a land agent, Bruton Knowles, to deal with compensation claims and is now asking cabinet members’ permission for the project contract sum in the 2024/25 capital programme to increase from £347,266 to £773,633.
A council cabinet report says that the costs will entirely be funded by the Welsh Government grant for the scheme.
It also adds that there is a sensitive compensation claim which is being addressed by externally appointed counsel.
However, further details relating to the claim are not made available in the report, which will be addressed in a confidential section of the upcoming cabinet meeting on Thursday.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has asked Vale of Glamorgan Council for further details on the nature of the claim and how much money is at stake.
The cabinet's report states: “There is a particular claim which is sensitive and is outlined further in the Part II report on this agenda."
“The legal aspects of this claim are being addressed by an externally appointed counsel with the full support of the council’s appointed land agent."
“The works by the council’s agents are to protect the council from facing potential escalation to Upper Tribunal.
“The financial ceiling for the use of this land agent is currently at its limit, but due to their intimate experience of the project, their expertise on similar cases and the time-sensitivity matters, Cabinet approval will be sought via the Part II report later on this agenda to increase this ceiling with the current agent.”
The final land claims are expected to be completed in this financial year (2025-26)
Cabinet approval is also being requested for the Five Mile Lane project to be added to the 2025/2026 capital programme with a budget of £1,557,273.18.
Vale of Glamorgan Council submitted a planning application for the Five Mile Lane works in spring and permission was granted for the project later that same year.
Compulsory purchase orders to buy land for the project were made in 2017 following a public enquiry.
The 4km of new road, which links Weycock Cross on the edge of Barry with Sycamore Cross to the north, was developed to improve journey times in the area and improve access to Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone by public transport.
As a result of the works, there are also two new junctions to reach settlements to the west of the road and one junction to the east.
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