Safety Concerns Cause More Delays for Civic Campus
Two builders were seriously injured on Hammersmith Town Hall site
CGI of the plans for the new Civic Campus in Hammersmith. Picture: RSHP.
October 14, 2024
The redevelopment of Hammersmith’s town hall and construction of new flats has been pushed back by ‘about a year’ after a construction accident which seriously injured two builders, it has been revealed.
The Hammersmith Civic Campus scheme has also been affected by Brexit but the 2022 accident sparked an investigation which has hampered progress at the site.
The leader of the council Stephen Cowan told a Hammersmith and Fulham Cabinet meeting that the incident had been a ‘problem’ for the project, which will feature a refurbished Hammersmith town hall alongside new homes, workspace and other amenities, and was granted approval in 2019.
The council is working with the site’s contractor, Ardmore, to confirm a revised programme for completion. A spokesperson said this would be published in due course.
The 2022 incident occurred after scaffolding on the town hall collapsed. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation is ongoing, with a report expected later this year.
The update from Cllr Cowan emerged during questioning by Conservative opposition member Adronie Alford at a recent Cabinet meeting. After initially saying the project had simply been set back, Cllr Cowan later clarified it had ‘lost about a year’ as a result of the accident. He added it had also been impacted by factors such as Brexit, which had increased charges and led to a ‘depleted’ labour force.
“If you look at any development anywhere these types of things happen sometimes and we should not take our eye off the final goal, which is you will have a completely unusual type of town hall,” he said.
“It won’t be for politicians and officials, it will be for residents, which is why you will see people going to concerts there, you will see people going to the roof restaurants.”
A police car at the scene following the collapse in May 2022
Once complete, the Civic Campus will deliver 204 new flats, of which 52 per cent will be affordable. A cinema is among the offerings, as are new public squares.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said, “We are actively working with our Civic Campus contractor Ardmore to confirm a revised timeline for completion of the development as we seek to breathe new life into the heart of Hammersmith.”
Ardmore was also approached for comment.
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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