Barratt legacy building costs jump an extra £180m

Aaron Morby 2 years ago
Share

Volume house builder Barratt has today revealed a further £180m will be needed on top of previous estimates to cope with fire safety and legacy building costs.

Citiscape building in Croydon where concrete defects were first uncovered
Citiscape building in Croydon where concrete defects were first uncovered

The firm, which in 2022 set aside £412m to cover remediation costs, has now upped the estimates after completing its review of reinforced concrete frame buildings and finalising the extent of fire safety and external wall system repairs.

The review was conducted following the discovery of concrete design defects at Barratt’s Cityscape project in Croydon, south London.

The firm said it had provided an extra £60m for concrete frame issues after finalising plans for the one remaining development in the review where work was required across five buildings.

A further £5m has also been spent on two other previously unidentified schemes where extra remediation works may eventually be needed.

Barratt said the number of projects requiring fire safety and external wall works had also jumped by 55 to 278 buildings, following the signing of the Government’s Self-Remediation Terms and Contract last March contributing an extra £115m of costs.

In a trading statement this morning Barratt, warned: “While the charges in respect of legacy properties reflect our current best estimates of the extent and future costs of work required, as assessments and work progresses, estimates may have to be updated.”

The house builder said it remained in talks with the Scottish Government following the signing of the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord at the end of May around the extent of remediation required in Scotland.

In the trading update covering the 2023 financial year to June, Barratt forecast that total housing completions for the year ahead would be down by up to 23% on the past year’s level of 17,206.

Already slower construction activity due to slower sales saw weekly average output last year fall around 9% to 322 homes.

Reflecting the slowdown in the market, Barratt said it expected total build cost inflation to abate, falling from 9% last year to around 5% in the year ahead.

 

 

Latest news

TSL turnover smashes £500m as profit almost trebles

Data centre and logistics contractor rises high on surging demand
1 hour ago

Laing O’Rourke tops June contracts league

£919m animal super lab dominates new orders
2 hours ago

Gleeson Homes chief exec leaves business after restructure

Management revamp after "challenging" year
1 hour ago

Green light for 1,600-home Oldham town centre overhaul

Plans for over 1,600 homes across six regeneration sites approved
2 hours ago

DSM wins Norwich city centre clearance job

Anglia Square shopping centre clearance for £300m scheme
2 hours ago

13-year-old becomes UK’s youngest qualified digger driver

Grandson of Gallagher Group chairman sets industry record
10 hours ago

Cubby reborn in £12m Svella-backed takeover

£50m revenue target set as 14 firms combine under new Cubby Group banner
1 day ago

North East NHS trusts plot £3bn health estate overhaul

Market engagement begins for major construction push across four trusts
1 day ago

HG goes green on cranes in £1.2m switch to battery power

Diesel-free crane drive cuts fuel bills by 94%
1 day ago

Developer fined £165,000 for fire safety failings

Firm ignored fire safety orders on apartment job in Preston
1 day ago

Bidding to start for £1.8bn North West framework

Contractors invited to bid for latest Procure Partnerships deal
1 day ago

Hill hits record £90m profit as homes pipeline swells

Build-to-rent push and £4.8bn contracting book to fuel next growth phase
2 days ago

Rayner unveils £39bn plan to build 300,000 social homes

Council building revival and rent reform feature in social and affordable homes plan
2 days ago

Keltbray bounces back with £3.2m profit

Tighter controls and smarter project selection fuel strong turnaround
2 days ago

VINCI JV wins 500-home twin town centre revamps

Chester Northgate phase 2 and Northwich Weaver Square schemes move to delivery stage
2 days ago

80 energy projects unlocked as Ofgem backs grid expansion

£24bn energy networks deal gets green light from regulator
3 days ago

How to see your stories on the Enquirer

Join our Suppliers and Buyers directory to get your news published
2 days ago

Henley lands Midland Mill revamp on Leeds tower scheme

Restoration of 18th-century mill kicks off on South Bank regeneration project
2 days ago

New boss at Eric Wright Civil Engineering

Gavin Hulme takes top job as Diane Bourne moves to group role
2 days ago

Pinewood submits £1bn data centre plan

Studio giant adds green and learning spaces to tech hub blueprint
3 days ago

Record results after TClarke goes private

Britain's biggest M&E contractor flourishes after de-listing
3 days ago

Dalkia lands £200m nuclear maintenance deal

1,000 nuclear FM staff to join M&E contractor
3 days ago

Construction comeback to outpace wider economy

Arcadis forecast fueled by spending review optimism
4 days ago

First steel goes up on giant car battery site

Severfield gets to work on McAlpine Somerset site
4 days ago

Permasteelisa wins cladding deal on Bovis city tower

Facade specialist lands package at 60 Gracechurch Street
3 days ago

Fox buys recycled asphalt specialist Fisher

Acquisition adds major recycled asphalt capacity in north west
4 days ago

Major Building Safety Regulator shake-up to end tower delays

HSE stripped of control and top fire chiefs brought in to fast-track stalled schemes
4 days ago

Hinkley trio sign Sizewell civils deal

Balfour,Bouygues and Laing O'Rourke form Civil Works Alliance for new power station
4 days ago

£3.9bn data centre plan for Ravenscraig steelworks

Green energy to power massive new steel to silicon AI campus
4 days ago

Breakthrough on HS2’s second longest tunnel

8.4 mile Northolt to Old Oak Common drive completes
4 days ago