First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), one of the leading social housing providers in the region, has terminated its contract with developer Robwood Construction Limited after unacceptable delays on a £3.7 million affordable housing development in Royton.

The development on Shaw Street was commissioned to deliver 30 one and two-bedroom affordable apartments for local residents. The fixed-price contract was awarded in May 2022, with completion originally scheduled for February 2024.

However, the project has been fraught with delays. While early problems were attributed to a variety of issues, the recent stagnation has been solely due to poor performance by the contractor, according to FCHO.

The housing association had worked closely with Robwood Construction to overcome the delays, including releasing additional funds to ensure the project could be finished by the end of last year. Despite this considerable financial and practical support, progress remained unacceptably slow, and contractor performance fell below the required standards.

Mark Gifford, chief executive of FCHO, explained the decision. "This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but a delay of more than two years by this main contractor to finish this project is simply unacceptable," he said.

He further stated: "It has come to the point where we can see no realistic prospect of this development finishing unless we take control. This is despite considerable financial and practical support from FCHO, including ensuring all payments due to Robwood Construction have been made."

Mr Gifford emphasised the impact on the community. "We want to see this development finished because people need to move into these homes," he said. He also acknowledged the concerns of neighbours: "We also recognise this has been a building site for too long and nearby residents are rightly concerned about the delays."

FCHO has sent letters to nearby neighbours explaining the situation and apologising for the disruption caused by the extended construction period.

With the contract terminated, FCHO has taken direct control of the site. A team is now on-site assessing the current state of the development and determining how much work is needed to complete the project.

"We are now on site and assessing just how long it will take to finish the project," Mr Gifford said. "When we have made this assessment, we will be able to give a realistic completion time frame to the community."

This development is part of FCHO's wider affordable housing programme in the Oldham area. The organisation remains committed to delivering high-quality homes for local people and ensuring that projects are completed efficiently and effectively.

The termination of the contract with Robwood Construction highlights the challenges faced in the construction sector, but FCHO is determined to see the Shaw Street development through to completion. The focus is now on finishing the work as quickly as possible to provide new homes for residents in need.