Hoardings spell end for costly and unfinished housing development.
Confusion surrounds the development of “much needed” affordable housing, as demolition signs have gone up after a deal with contractors fell through.
Wandle Housing Association is in charge of building the 34 affordable homes in 447 Brighton Road between South Croydon and Purley. Despite work starting in 2010 and an estimated completion time of 40 weeks, the development is still nowhere near finished and has already cost £3 million.
“Building work on the site has been delayed but is now expected to be completed in summer 2014,” said a Wandle spokesman.
The housing association denied the development was being demolished, despite the signs put up on the hoardings.
Instead, they claimed the building would be “stripped back” in order “to enable a full assessment to take place” and “ensure both safety and the quality of the development”.
The spokesman said Wandle could not know how much over budget the block would be until the assessment had been made.
The association’s head of asset investment, Gary Bellenger, admitted the development had run into “significant issues” which had “delayed the scheme” but declined to go into details because it was “commercially sensitive”.
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