The main contractor redeveloping the Wanstead Leisure Centre and school has gone into administration, further stalling the council’s plans.
Shoreditch-based home-builder and refurbishment firm Jerram Falkus entered administration last month after 140 years of trading, despite appearing to be in relatively good financial health.
It had been brought in by Redbridge Council to lead the major redevelopment of the Wanstead Leisure Centre and school, with work beginning in 2022.
In a statement, the council said: “We were very disappointed to learn that Jerram Falkus – the main contractor responsible for delivering the Wanstead Leisure Centre and school redevelopment project – has entered administration, especially as we were nearing completion.
“Although this setback is entirely beyond our control, the council remains absolutely committed to completing the new leisure centre that will benefit generations to come, alongside modern classrooms that will give local students the opportunities and learning environment they deserve.”
The council has now taken possession of the land from the administrators and appointed security guards while it shops around for a new contractor.
“We want to reassure parents, staff and the wider community that our commitment to this project has not changed,” the statement added. “Work to appoint a new contractor has begun so the final stage of the project can move forward with minimal disruption.
“We recognise that parents, staff and the community will have understandable concerns, and we will continue to provide updates as soon as further information becomes available.”
The £20million redevelopment of the centre, which includes a new 25-metre swimming pool and four new classrooms, was first approved in 2018.
It was meant to be finished last summer, and the new target date of this summer is unlikely to be met due to the latest delays. The council has historically blamed “challenging conditions on the grounds” for the slow progress.
It was first promised by former leader Jas Athwal, now the MP for Ilford South, following Labour’s victory in the 2014 local elections. In June that year, he said he would “guarantee and ensure” a swimming pool was complete by the 2018 elections.
Three have been built so far – at Fullwell Cross, Loxford, and Mayfield leisure centres – but Wanstead’s has been a challenge for eight years.
Jerram Falkus had also been contracted by Tower Hamlets Council to build 62 new modular homes in Bow. The project remains unfinished.
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