CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council’s contractor for the Westhaugh Gypsy Traveller site redevelopment project has folded – putting the project at risk for delays and cost increases. 

On Thursday, Murray Sharp, the council’s senior Housing manager, revealed that the council’s Westhaugh contractor has “publicly gone into administration”, and the council is scrambling to get a new contractor in place to minimise delays. 

“The Tier 1 Contractor employed by Hubco East Scotland for the Westhaugh site project, Hadden Construction, has unfortunately gone into administration,” a spokesperson for Clackmannanshire Council said.

“Hadden have delivered some early initialisation works, demolition of previous units, drainage and power connections. We are working with Hubco East Scotland to obtain a new Tier 1 Contractor to complete the project.” 

The spokesperson said: “We believe that one has been identified, but initial costs estimates are above the price that Hadden had previously committed to delivering.

Clackmannanshire Council has been in the process of refurbishing the Westhaugh site  since October 2022.  

In May, the council agreed to invest an additional £1.3million to redevelop the site after councillors were told costs had increased by around 25% – bringing the total to £5.5m.

READ MORE: Westhaugh Gypsy Traveller contractor enters administration

Much of that funding, up to 60%, was meant to come from the Scottish Government after the council successfully obtained the highest level of grant award from the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund. 

However, councillors were told on Thursday that these delays could cause the costs to increase once again. 

“We’re at the stage of seeking out an alternative contractor,” Mr Sharp told the council.  “It’s likely that this may lead to additional costs which would need to be presented to council for confirmation and to discuss if the council is comfortable with the cost and/or the whole project itself.” 

He added: “There are discussions at a senior level in weeks ahead to try and progress that project forward on behalf of the council,” Mr Sharp said. 

Clackmannanshire’s Housing Spokesperson Jane McTaggart originally broke news of the delays in the council’s annual housing assurance statement last Thursday. 

Her letter stated that there is a “significant delay experienced in the re-development of the Westhaugh Gypsy Traveller Site, Alva.” 

“Our intentions to move forward with the Gypsy Traveller site have been hampered by various obstacles that are outside of our control,” Cllr McTaggart told the council. 

“This remains a huge concern and we’re hopeful these issues can be resolved imminently and that we can get a contract to meet the needs of our Traveller community.”