Hammersmith’s Civic Campus development update as main contractor collapses into administration

The Hammersmith Civic Campus scheme is delivering restaurants, bars, a cinema and public squares alongside a refurbished town hall, housing and workspace

A major West London development is still set to be completed this summer despite the main contractor entering administration.

The collapse of Ardmore Construction Group will not hold up the opening of Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s new Civic Campus, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has been told.

A spokesperson confirmed the local authority has “contingency plans” in place meaning progress will not be impacted.

The flagship scheme, which includes the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Town Hall, the construction of more than 200 homes and amenities from restaurants to work and cultural spaces, is one of 10 major sites reportedly affected by Ardmore’s collapse.

According to trade publication Construction Enquirer the main Ardmore Construction Group and several of its subsidiaries are entering administration. The title reported that a recent High Court Building Liability Order judgement has meant companies across the group are liable for remediation claims associated with historic residential developments.

It added that concerns over the potential liabilities undermined Ardmore’s “ability to secure new work [and] triggered a cash flow crunch”. Ardmore is appealing the judgement.

Construction Enquirer listed 10 major Ardmore sites in London, namely:

• Tribeca, King’s Cross
• 5 Chancery Lane
• Hammersmith Civic Campus
• West Cromwell Road, Kensington and Chelsea
• Kensington Forum Hotel
• Eaton Lane, Westminster
• Cambridge House, Westminster
• Britannia Place, Shoreditch
• Thames Road, Newham
• Hackney Yards, Hackney Wick

A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council told the LDRS it will be “business as usual” for the final stage of the development despite Ardmore’s issues They added they remain on track for completion this summer, and that due to the project being so advanced, the final works are largely being done by subcontractors the council is liaising with directly.

The Civic Campus has already begun opening in stages. Its 204-home residential block, 52 per cent of which is affordable, has had residents moving in for months.

The local authority has also held two Full Council meetings in the refurbished Town Hall. Progress was previously hampered in 2022 when steel was dropped by a subcontractor, seriously injuring two builders.

Council Leader Stephen Cowan has also spoken of pressures such as Brexit which had contributed to the opening coming several years later than planned.

A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “The Civic Campus will be Britain’s most exciting new arts, cultural, business, government and community quarter. It’s both environmentally positive and accessible.

“We have long been aware of Ardmore Construction Group Ltd’s circumstances and have prepared accordingly. We will therefore carry on opening the rest of the building with only a few changes to our planned schedule.

“Ardmore filed for administration on Thursday. This is typical of the challenges faced by many contractors in the building industry.

“The Civic Campus already partially opened in February with weddings and council meetings taking place ever since. We will continue as normal. Currently we are signing new leases and bringing on board new commercial tenants.

“Over the next few weeks, we’re putting in place our plan to finish the works and we look forward to fully opening it this summer as planned, in order to help boost the local economy and benefit local people.”

Commenting on the administration, which was announced last week, a spokesperson for Ardmore told Construction Enquirer: “This is a deeply disappointing outcome for the construction group, its employees and its stakeholders.

“Our focus is now on preserving value in the wider Group, protecting the continuing businesses where possible, and pursuing the appeal against a judgment which we believe raises important questions for the wider industry.”

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