Carillion job at £700m Birmingham scheme still stuck after firm's collapse

A £700m mixed-use scheme in the middle of Birmingham that was being built by Carillion is still at a standstill more than a week after the firm went under.

The bust firm was building an office – set to be occupied by its liquidator PwC – and delivering other site-wide works on a £250m contract.

Argent, which is developing the scheme for a team including the city council, had hoped work would be back up and running this week.

But a spokesperson for the developer told Building finding a replacement contractor was taking “longer than expected” and admitted the process would be “ongoing for a little while”.

The spokesperson said it was unlikely Argent would directly subcontract the unfinished works because “there is a little bit too much work left to complete with just over a year to go.”

Designed by architect Eric Parry, the One Chamberlain Square development runs across 172,000 sq ft with the building being topped out by Carillion just before Christmas. It is first building of the scheme’s first phase and is due to complete this autumn.

Demolition contractor DSM has been allowed back on site to help clear what had already been demolished, the spokesperson added.

Contractor Bam is still on course to start on the second office building in phase one next month.

Meanwhile, Birmingham’s council leader Ian Ward said the government needed to make sure Carillion’s collapse did not slow the pace of economic regeneration in Birmingham.

“The primary concern is of course the workforce and supply chain, but Carillion was a key player in a number of major regeneration projects across Birmingham and the West Midlands and we need urgent reassurance that the delivery of those projects will not be affected,” he added.