Councillor seeks assurances over Carillion situation

A COUNCILLOR has called for clarity after one of the UK’s biggest construction firms confirmed it was set to enter liquidation.

Carillion PLC, which employs about 20,000 people across the country, has struggled since reporting half-year l osses of £1.15 billion last September.

The company has been working on the Broughty Ferry platform i mprovement works since l ast Monday — but i s yet to confirm whether these will be affected by t oday’s news.

Ferry councillor Craig Duncan fears t hat t he works could be left incomplete.

He said: “Given the unfortunate outcome for Carillion, it’s quite pressing that we get clarity.

“I’ve contacted the council’s head of city development and head of roads and transportation to ask them to get assurances from Network Rail.”

Mr Duncan said t hat, while the situation did not fall under the direct remit of Dundee City Council, it is “important” that the authority seeks assurances.

His main worries, he continued, were whether the works would be completed or whether t he adjoining Queen Street car park would be left full of abandoned construction materials and por table cabins.

He added: “I don’t want us to be in a position where the car park is unavailable for residents for an indefinite period of time.”

Other projects Carillion has been working on include the extension of platforms at Edinburgh’s Waverley Station and a new £745m bypass at Aberdeen.

The company is also a major supplier to the UK and Scottish governments, and holds public contracts within the rail, education and health sectors.

Network Rail and Carillion did not i mmediately respond to t h e Te l e ’s requests for comment.