Hillingdon Council takes control to complete the leisure centre after contractor collapse.
- Buckingham Group’s financial collapse halted construction in West Drayton.
- Project resumption involves additional cost and delay, completion now expected in 2025.
- Consultants hired to guide project management and electrical monitoring post-collapse.
- Local subcontractors retained to continue with the construction efforts.
In a decisive move, Hillingdon Council has announced its takeover of the management for completing the Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre in West Drayton. This decision comes after the earlier collapse of the initial contractor, Buckingham Group, which ceased operations last year. The council’s intervention underscores its commitment to see the project through to completion, albeit a year later than planned and with a significant increase in expected costs.
Work on the leisure centre came to an abrupt halt when the Buckingham Group entered administration, leaving the construction unfinished. Buckingham Group, once a thriving entity with a £665 million turnover, became insolvent due to substantial losses incurred on various projects. This marks one of the most notable contractor failures in recent years, with the firm being the largest to collapse since Carillion.
With the council stepping in, the project will now open in the summer of 2025. Initially estimated to cost around £31.9 million, it is now expected to incur an additional £9.1 million. The extra funding was sanctioned in part to mitigate inflationary pressures and prevent further deterioration of the existing structures.
To facilitate this renewed construction phase, Hillingdon Council has engaged the consultancy firm Press & Starkey for a fee of £148,000. They will guide the project management team, focusing particularly on mechanical and electrical works, ensuring that stringent standards are upheld.
Despite the managerial changes and financial hurdles, some of the original subcontractors have been retained to continue their work, preserving a degree of continuity in the project’s development. Initial progress by the Buckingham Group saw the structural frame completed before the cessation of their involvement in May 2023.
The project aims to deliver a comprehensive leisure facility, featuring a 25-metre swimming pool, a gym, a health suite, and other amenities designed to serve the community. As construction resumes, these features remain a critical focus, with external brickwork and window fittings nearing completion, and the next phases including detailed interior work and the development of outdoor facilities.
Councillor Jonathan Bianco, representing the council’s interests in property and transport, emphasised the strategic importance of this project, remarking, “We are continuing to make significant progress on site and working hard to complete it as quickly and efficiently as possible.” This statement reflects the council’s proactive stance in not only managing the present challenges but also emphasising efficiency and forward momentum.
The council’s proactive management ensures the leisure centre’s completion amidst challenges.
