Ealing says fate of more than 50 homes built by collapsed contractor up in air

Ealing council has said it has not yet decided what it will do with more than 50 half-finished homes built by Henry Construction.

Last year, the West London authority confirmed it would demolish Dean Gardens, a 53-home development in Walpole.

A total of 105 homes built to Passivhaus standards were due to be delivered as part of a £40m contract the council awarded to Henry Construction in January 2022.

henry

Henry was working on several jobs, including a series of homes in Ealing, when it collapsed nearly three years ago

But construction work stopped when Henry Construction went into administration the following year.

Reports have emerged in the past few days that the remaining 52 unfinished homes across five sites in the area will also be bulldozed rather than completed – apparently because it was more cost-effective to knock them down and start again.

However, a council spokesperson said: “There has been some confusion regarding this story. Only the Dean Gardens site is confirmed for demolition so far.

“We’re looking into the other sites [25 homes at Chesterton and Evesham Close, Greenford, 11 homes at Wood End, Greenford, a further 10 at Shackleton Road, Southall, and six at Norwood Road, Southall] but so far no decisions have been made, although demolition is one option.”

Work began in late 2022 on six sites across West Ealing, Greenford and Southall as part of the council’s £40m deal with Henry.

Henry sank into administration the following June with the loss of around 40 jobs and debts of more than £43m. At the time, the council said it was committed to completing all of the remaining homes.

All the homes were designed by Bell Phillips. A spokesperson for the architect declined to comment.

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