With works ongoing on the Tyne Bridge repairs, Chancellor Rachel Reeves' hesitation to confirm the works will receive full funding has worried many in Newcastle City Council.
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00:00With work well underway on the £41.4 million works to upgrade the Tyne Bridge and a section
00:04of the Central Motorway, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to commit to the previous
00:08government's pledge to cover the full costs of restoration work. A lack of clarity which
00:12has concerned local councillors, with Lib Dem opposition City Councillor Greg Stone stating
00:16that the failure to commit to finding the missing money has serious implications for
00:20getting the job done in time for the 100th anniversary and will only add to the financial
00:23headaches at Newcastle and Gatwick councils. When asked about the funding at the recent
00:27visit to Accord Healthcare Pharmaceuticals in Fordham, the Chancellor blamed the previous
00:31Conservative government stating that it is one of the projects where the previous government
00:34had not put the money aside. News of the uncertainty follows the government announcing
00:38tax rises after promising in their manifesto that these wouldn't happen but again blaming
00:42the previous Tory government for mishandling the budget. Engineers have identified over
00:46a thousand repairs that need to be carried out on the bridge which hasn't had any major
00:50maintenance in over two decades. In spite of the fact there is now a £6 million shortfall
00:54in funding for the bridge works, the first sections that have been repaired and repainted
00:58have recently been unveiled to the public.