Wembley drafts in extra M&E workers

Electrical contractor Phoenix Electrical is understood to be taking on extra workers to drive forward M&E work on the project, which is now due for completion in March.

The move comes as main contractor Multiplex denied allegations that the scheme had problems with its concrete foundations and had fallen further behind.

A Multiplex spokesperson said: “It is Multiplex’s understanding that Phoenix is bringing more M&E workers onto the project. We can confirm that more workers are coming onto the site, but we do not know about numbers at this stage.”

Phoenix Electrical was unavailable for comment.

Multiplex this week denied allegations in the national press that it had been hit by problems with the concrete foundations to the stadium, and that the project would be put back months behind its revised deadline as a result.

Reports claimed that the foundations contained air bubbles that had made the foundations brittle, and that Multiplex was urgently seeking a solution to the problem.

A Multiplex spokesperson said that there had been no concrete problems beyond those reported in May, when remedial work was carried out by contractor PC Harrington to rectify dry joints on two concrete cores.

We are on course for, or ahead of, the revised programme. There is no problem with that at all

Multiplex spokesperson

The spokesperson said: “The allegations are untrue. There was a concrete issue back in May but that was not on the foundations and the issue has been sorted now. We are on course for, or ahead of, the revised programme for the end of March. There is no problem with that at all.”

The spokesperson also denied claims that it was holding talks with contractors to address issues of movement in the structure of the stadium. He said: “There has been no movement in the structure beyond the parameters permitted for all buildings, as all buildings move to some extent. There will be no meeting with contractors on this issue, although we do hold regular ongoing meetings with contractors and clients.”

The Health and Safety Executive has sought clarification from Multiplex as a result of the allegations, as any problem with the foundations would pose an inherent safety risk to the project.

The organisation also confirmed that it had carried out investigations into other work on the site, and had issued a prohibition notice on work opening steel crates after unsafe systems for unpacking steel mesh sheets caused a serious accident, injuring three employees.

Multiplex also denied rumours that a string of managers had resigned from the project, and said that the senior team on the project was stable.

The spokesperson said: “We can’t say definitively that no managers have left during the project, but there is no systematic situation. The same project director has been in place all the way through, and the senior team remains the same.”