Willmott Dixon has been chosen by Swansea Council to complete work at the Copr Bay district after the original contactor, Buckingham Group, went into administration.
The Copr Bay scheme covers the area of the former St David’s Shopping Centre and across the new bridge over Oystermouth Road to Swansea Arena and the coastal park.
Most of the scheme is complete and open, so it’s business as usual at Swansea Arena, the Copr Bay south car park, the coastal park, the Green Room Bar and Kitchen, and the residential unit on the north side of Oystermouth Road.
Willmott Dixon, which has an office nearby in Cardiff, will focus on completing the car park on the north side of Oystermouth Road and some other snagging work on site. The St David’s multi-storey car park – which is earmarked for demolition – will remain open in the meantime.
A Swansea council spokesperson said: “The Copr Bay district is at the heart of Swansea’s on-going regeneration of the city centre. When our contractors Buckingham went into administration, we had to act quickly to protect the council’s position and complete the unfinished work. We’re delighted to appoint Willmott Dixon, one of the country’s leading specialists, to manage the construction and ensure the unfinished work is completed as soon as possible.
“The snagging works will now be finished as soon as possible, and work to finish the car park is anticipated for completion in the spring of 2024. The financial arrangements we have in place mean we don’t envisage these works leading to extra costs for the council or the taxpayer.”
Neal Stephens, managing director for Willmott Dixon in Wales and West, added: “It is very sad what happened to Buckingham Group and to see their supply chain partners go through such a difficult period. We will try to use as many as possible as we complete this important project for Swansea. We have extensive experience of working in the local area and are pleased to be working with Swansea Council to bring this fantastic development to a fitting conclusion.”
Willmott Dixon brings an extensive track-recording working on town and city centre regeneration. In July it was appointed to deliver Nottingham’s new 20-acre Green Heart regeneration scheme and in June it was announced as main contractor to transform the entrance to Darlington Station as part of Network Rail's £140m masterplan to deliver extra train capacity and better passenger facilities at the station.
