McAlpine under fire after another panel comes loose from hotel

Grant Prior 12 months ago
Share

Local councillors have laid into Sir Robert McAlpine after another cladding panel came loose on its problem Hilton Hotel job in Woking town centre.

The panel was discovered after high winds last weekend and has forced the closure of the adjacent A320 Victoria Way while further checks and repair work are carried-out.

The road has been shut numerous times due to external panel issues during the construction of the hotel and since it opened last Autumn.

The A320 had only reopened in mid January after being shut for similar issues last December.

Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said: “Whilst the closure of Victoria Way is extremely disruptive and frustrating, safety is everyone’s number one priority.

“I’m very angry that another panel has failed on the hotel building despite assurances from SRM earlier this month that the panels were now safe and secure.

“A course of action has been identified to put things right and the council and Victoria Square Woking Ltd are urging SRM to progress this as quickly as possible.

“In the meantime, I am committed to keeping you updated and pushing for a permanent resolution so we are not in this situation every time there is an extreme weather event.”

A spokesperson for Sir Robert McAlpine said: “In the aftermath of Storm Herminia on Sunday, which followed immediately after the powerful Storm Eowyn on Friday, one cladding panel was found to be loose on the western elevation of the hotel building.

“In order to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians, Victoria Way will need to remain closed until the exterior panel is fixed and further checks have been completed to a number of panels across the building. This will be carried out as soon as the wind speeds are within the safe working limits.

“It is not possible to confirm how long we will require Victoria Way to be closed at this stage, but it is anticipated to be a number of weeks and we will provide further updates as our works progress.

“We apologise for the disruption that the closure of Victoria Way is causing. The hotel and the rest of Victoria Place remain open for business as usual during this period.”

Woking MP Will Forster has also written to McAlpine chief executive Neil Martin demanding a detailed plan for remediation work.

Latest news

Heathrow kicks off third runway pre-planning design work

Airport targets 2029 consent with key policy calls looming in 2026
4 hours ago

Civils firm Caldwell Construction files administration notice

Hundreds of workers sent home as Midlands firm says it is trying to find an investor
7 hours ago

CW Plant Hire kit goes under hammer in fleet renewal sale

Euro Auctions to sell off used equipment next month
3 hours ago

Henry creditors payout hangs on £31m family legal fight

Administrators say trade creditor dividend hinges on lawsuit against Henry directors and family
8 hours ago

Ex-directors buy back Boutique Modern in £24k pre-pack deal

Modular housing firm reborn as BM Modular but creditors face £4.3m shortfall
8 hours ago

Autumn Budget jitters knock construction output back

Uncertainty ahead of November statement triggers biggest quarterly fall since early 2023
7 hours ago

Industry standards body racks-up huge loss

Accounts query invoices from firms linked to former leaders
1 day ago

Taylor Wimpey braces for margin squeeze this year

Lower opening order book and weaker margins shape cautious outlook
7 hours ago

Green light for Ballymore 1,685 homes site

Go-ahead for latest redevelopment site in Royal Docks
7 hours ago

Building boss fined for ignoring safety warnings

Court hands out fines after catalogue of safety concerns on pub conversion job
1 day ago

Treasury unlocks £1.1bn to revive Northern Powerhouse Rail

Cash to kick off design work on £45bn scheme ahead of 2030s build
2 days ago

Kier Construction appoints new southern region chief

Former Bouygues regional MD John Boughton joins Kier
1 day ago

Vistry saved by second half margin rebound to 8.4%

Cost control, site mix and partnership housing drive margin rebound
1 day ago

USA contractor acquires London super-prime specialist

Remian looks to expand in UK with deal for construction manager Rossco
1 day ago

McLaren takes 256-bed Leeds student tower job

Developer Pullans gets green light for Joseph’s Well student scheme
2 days ago

Milton Keynes plans £76m events venue

Operator chosen for 4,000-capacity scheme
1 day ago

Tower crane drivers set to strike

SItes could stop amid pay row with Wolffkran
2 days ago

Winvic wins £340m M&S mega shed at DIRFT

Low-carbon Midlands 1.3m sq ft twin sheds set to anchor food growth plans
3 days ago

Father-of-six dies in demolition site tragedy

Fatal accident while demolishing flats in Renfrewshire
3 days ago

Persimmon builds momentum with 12% jump in completions

House builder warns there will be no material uplift in market this year
2 days ago

Henry Boot seals planning for Goole 5.5m sq ft freeport

HBD partnership targets start on site this year for £130m first phase
2 days ago

FP McCann buys roofing products firm Easy-Trim

Concrete specialist acquires firm out of administration
2 days ago

Trade body BESA boots out five more firms in standards purge

Building engineering services body chief says race to the bottom is over
3 days ago

Bidders day set for £4.5bn Southern Construction Framework

Around 20 contractors brace for fight to retain places on sixth-generation mega deal
3 days ago

Facade specialist Permasteelisa (UK) hit by third year of losses

Legacy projects, and fixed-price contract pressures continued to bite
3 days ago

“Future of construction” firm in administration

Versarien fails to strike a solvent sale for business
6 days ago

British Land CEO to join warehouse developer

Simon Carter to leave after five years at the helm
3 days ago

Paddington life sciences tower moves into planning

16-storey hub planned beside St Mary's Hospital in London
3 days ago

Balfour secures £900m Midlands highways upkeep deal

Firm beats rival M Group and Ringway bids for new combined council deal
6 days ago

Skanska slides 4,200 tonne railway bridge into place

Watch time-lapse video of major civil engineering feat
3 days ago