By Bruce Sinclair,Local Democracy Reporter,Robert Harries

Copyright walesonline

Aberaeron’s multi-million-pound coastal defence scheme is nearing completion but Ceredigion Council could be facing a significant overspend on its contribution to the project. The £31.59m Aberaeron Coastal Defence Scheme, funded through the Welsh Government’s Coastal Risk Management Programme and supplemented by a £4.74m contribution from Ceredigion Council itself, includes a range of measures designed to protect the area from coastal erosion and flooding. These include the construction of a rock breakwater extending out from North Pier, refurbishment and rebuilding of the pier head of South Pier, construction of flood walls, a flood gate at Pwll Cam inner harbour, and improvements to the existing defences on South Beach. The scheme was given the green light at the February 2023 meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s Development Management Committee, with BAM Nuttall Ltd appointed as the construction contractors. However, a report presented at the September meeting of Ceredigion Council’s Thriving Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee revealed: “The Aberaeron Coastal Protection scheme remains ongoing with expenditure of £24.6m incurred during 24/25. “The scheme is showing as £2.5m ahead of its budget profile as at 31/03/25, which is usually a strong indicator that some aspects could be running above budget and/or behind programme. “During 24/25, additional funding of £2.272m has been set aside to provide potential contingency funding for the scheme. “This is due to there being a small number of high value compensation events (i.e. contract variances) on the main construction contract, not all of which have reached a full contractual conclusion – therefore there is an element of ongoing commercial sensitivity. “The overall final financial position, whilst regularly being updated and projected on an estimated basis, is therefore still to be determined. “There is a project board in place to oversee the scheme, and the latest position has been fully reported to the council’s leadership group, the council’s development group and the Cabinet as well as group leaders.” During the meeting, councillors were informed the project was “days away from completion,” though the ultimate cost of the sea defences remained unclear as officials explored alternative funding sources. Councillor Marc Davies noted it had been “widely speculated” there was “a big overspend” on the Aberaeron coastal scheme, questioning whether the authority would bear responsibility for any such excess costs. Corporate Lead Officer and Section 151 Officer Duncan Hall confirmed that “broadly speaking” the council would face liability, with any additional expenses drawn from reserves, though measures to reduce this burden were under consideration. Councillors were informed the definitive financial picture should emerge shortly, potentially before October’s end. Following the meeting, Aberaeron county councillor Elizabeth Evans expressed her relief: “I think there’s a collective sigh of relief across the town now that the works will finally be completed. “It’s been a long 18 months, but everyone in Aberaeron understood the need for these works to take place, and their patience was a result of that understanding. “I couldn’t be more grateful to this community for staying so positive. The works have created great interest in the wider community too, and the BAM workforce were outstanding in their interactions with residents and tourists alike. “Aberaeron’s future as a town is now secured for generations to come, and we are most definitely open for business. “It was a long and complicated project, with so many different elements involved, in different parts of the harbour. “The works were scheduled to cost about £31m, and there is definitely an overspend, but it’s too early to give a definitive figure, but it will be made known.” Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice