The borough's transport chairman has spoken of his frustration at the failure of South Western Railway (SWR) to deliver a promised £3.3m cycle superhub at Richmond Station

Council tax payers have contributed £664,000 towards the scheme, which has been subject to a series of delays, while the rest is coming from the Department for Transport.

A year ago the Council announced it was hopeful that work on the new building, which should provide secure parking for up to 700 bikes, would start last summer and be completed by this month.

However, not a single spade has gone into the ground, while SWR has repeatedly failed to provide updates on the scheme when asked by Nub News.

The current cycle parking at the station fails to offer proper security and thieves regularly target high value bikes left there.

The deputy leader of the Green Party on the Council, Cllr Andree Frieze, told Nub News this week: "Cycling infrastructure in Richmond borough just keeps getting delayed, for no apparent good reason."

The deputy leader of the Green Party on the Council, Cllr Andree Frieze. Credit: Richmond Council.

Cllr Frieze asked for the latest information on the scheme at the Council's Transport & Air Quality Committee this week.

In response, chairman of the committee, Cllr Alexander Ehmann, said: "That is a project not being run by this council.

Cllr Alexander Ehmann speaking at the meeting. Credit: Richmond Council

"We have contributed an enhanced level of funding to that scheme and worked closely with the delivery body. It is not our project to oversee."

Significantly he added: "We are as frustrated as the next person about the lack of progress on this particular project."

A Council official added: "We have contributed financially towards the scheme as we wanted to help support that. We have been in regular dialogue with SWR who are the core team leading that.

"The long and short is that they reached a contractual stalemate with the main contractor that was meant to be undertaking the works."

He said the company had assured him these issues are about to be resolved and there is a hope that work will begin this summer.