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Council admits ‘not so good news’ for bus users
Plymouth’s ambitious £7.5m Royal Parade bus improvement scheme won’t be finished in time because of rain.
Plymouth City Council said torrential downpours have hampered the work and it won’t now be done by Monday, February 23.
The authority called it “not so good news” and said it is now hoped that the project, initially planned to be complete by July last year, will be finished on Monday, March 2.
In a post on social media the council said: “We’re sorry but the incessant heavy rain over the last few weeks means that work on Royal Parade will not finish in time for Monday, February 23.
“Resurfacing can be carried out in rain but the constant heavy downpours we’ve had recently has meant the contractors have not been able to progress.
“We are now working to a new date of Monday, March 2 and all the new bus stop arrangements for Royal Parade and around the city centre will be in place from that date.”
It added: “We had been ahead of schedule when we set the opening date and planned to finish resurfacing on February 6 with a fortnight contingency window.
“Unfortunately, the relentless heavy rain had other ideas.
“Bus operators have been informed, posters are going up and passengers should continue to use the stops they are currently using for another week.”
Work started in the Royal Parade project in July last year but this was six months after it was originally planned .
It was initially supposed to begin in January and be completed by July last year . Bus shelters in Royal Parade were ripped out in January 2025 but their replacements were delayed by contact talks and businesses in the city centre were told the project had become bogged down in negotiations.
In March 2025, repurposed shipping containers were installed in Royal Parade to provide shelter for people waiting for buses.
In July the council said contractor Morgan Sindall would take nine months, instead of six, to complete the work, but even with the latest delay it is likely to have the work finished well within that nine-month time frame.
However, the cost of the project skyrocketed to £7,494,692 from an original sum of £5 .
Originally South West Highways was due to carry out the work but this was considered to be a “risk” and the contract went to Morgan Sindall, also carrying out the £30m Armada Way upgrade, instead.
South West Highways was also the contractor involved in the Central Park ponds project , which has been beset by delays and seen costs spiral, but was replaced last year by WBM Groundworks.
The cash for the Royal Parade scheme came from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund and Bus Grant, Historic England’s Heritage Action Zone funding and the Council’s Better Places funding.
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