Troubled Anfield contractor also behind new Merseysrail station
The contractor behind Liverpool FC's Anfield Road expansion that has filed an administration notice is also the main firm building a new Merseyrail train station in the region.
On Thursday it was revealed that the Buckingham Group had filed the notice, raising concerns about its ongoing work on the £80m project to expand Liverpool's Anfield stadium by 7,000 seats.[1]
But Anfield is not the only major city region project that the troubled construction firm is involved with. Buckingham is also the principle contractor on the project to develop a new train station at Headbolt Lane in Kirkby.
City region bosses have stressed that the Headbolt Lane project is at an 'advanced stage' with most of the construction work already complete, meaning that the administration news should not have too great an impact.
A Combined Authority spokesperson said: "We are aware that Buckingham Group, the contractor appointed by Network Rail to construct the new station at Headbolt Lane, has filed a notice to appoint administrators.
"The Headbolt Lane development is at an advanced stage, with the majority of construction work already complete. Our focus remains on ensuring that passengers can enjoy their new station as soon as possible and we will be working closely with partners to identify the next steps to finalise the scheme.
“Once open, Headbolt Lane will be the first station to be serviced by the Liverpool City Region's new publicly owned battery powered trains. The fleet is fitted with pioneering technology that will help to reduce the region's carbon footprint and pave the way for a cleaner, greener London-style transport network.
"The station forms a key part of Mayor Rotheram's Merseyrail for All vision to expand the Merseyrail network by connecting new and previously under-served communities to the region's railway network."
On Thursday, Liverpool FC responded to news of Buckingham's administration notice to say that the filing will not impact the planned opening of the Anfield Road Stand's lower tier for the club's match with Bournemouth on Saturday and will work with the company on the planned phased opening of the remainder of the stand, with a specific intention to update supporters who have a ticket for the Aston Villa match on September 3.
A club spokesperson said: "Buckingham Group has made us aware that it has filed for a notice of intention to appoint administrators. This filing does not impact the planned opening of the new Anfield Road Stand’s lower tier on Saturday for the match against Bournemouth.
“Following the successful test events earlier this week, Liverpool City Council’s building control team issued a safety certificate to operate the lower tier of the Anfield Road Stand and we look forward to welcoming supporters to Anfield for our first Premier League home game of the season against Bournemouth.
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References
- ^ to expand Liverpool's Anfield stadium by 7,000 seats. (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Shock and anger as Boots to close Liverpool city centre store (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
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