A promised £3.3m multi-storey bicycle superhub for Richmond Station - providing secure places for up to 700 bicycles - has failed to materialise.

The new building, designed to encourage cycling and the use of public transport, was first proposed more than two years ago by South Western Railway (SWR), Richmond Council and the Department for Transport.

At the same time, it was hoped the hi-tech building would put an end to cycle thefts at the station which some reports suggest has the highest number in the country.

A year ago, the Council revealed that it had increased its contribution from £364,000 to £664,000 in order to support the scheme, which had risen in price in line with building materials and other costs.

The bulk of the funding – some £2.7m – is due to come from taxpayers through a grant from the Department for Transport.

Despite the extra money from the people of Richmond, not a single spade has been put into the ground. Kingston station already has a hub, while the Richmond one – when built – should be considerably bigger.

A year ago, SWR and the Council indicated that work would begin last August last year and be completed by this March.

As well as providing secure lock-up parking for up to 700 bikes, it was envisaged the hub would have Photovoltaic Panels (PV Solar Panels) to provide a sustainable energy source to power it.

It would also have a system to capture and reuse rainwater to service the hub within the maintenance areas for the cleaning of bikes.

At the time, Cllr Alexander Ehmann, Chair of the Transport and Air Quality Services Committee, spoke of his delight that the funding had been agreed and the scheme would finally be going ahead.

He said: "The delivery of a new bicycle hub will help to reduce resident's reliability on cars and reduce unnecessary journeys being made by car, making it easier to choose active travel options and helping to reduce congestion and improving local air quality."

A year ago, the SWR said: 'We are committed to installing a 700 space cycle hub at Richmond station, which is set to give a boost to transport integration and connectivity in the local area.

'We are sorry that, due to the pandemic and other factors, this project is taking longer to complete than first envisaged.'

SWR indicated that the delays related to difficulties in finding a contractor, rising costs due to the delays, and the fact that the scheme requires a sign-off from a number of parties. A spokesman suggested the appointment of a contractor is imminent.

Richmond Council has been asked for comment on the scheme.