Exeter to finally begin work at the Cat & Fiddle
THE considerable redevelopment of Exeter City’s training ground is back on track with work at the Cat & Fiddle venue due to start later this month.
The initial scheme, totalling £2.2 million, had to be postponed when the original contractors tasked with the project pulled the plug on the deal due to increased costs.
Now, the Grecians have turned to a second tender that bid for the development work, although the work will be more expensive and will cost the club almost £800,000 extra.
The Grecians explored other alternatives after the initial development was stopped prior to any work being done. However, they were deemed unviable.
The club looked at restarting the tender process which would have delayed the project by up to as much as six months and potentially exposed the club to more inflationary pressures, with a consequential increase in the total building cost.
Another option rejected was looking at alternative forms of construction, but that was agreed to be a no-no as it would have required planning permission and delayed things by an estimated 12-18 months. It was also felt that, due to continuing global volatility around construction costs, it would have been even more expensive.
Therefore, the club have turned to Modulek to complete the work which will begin with the removal of the existing spoil heap on May 23. The first turf will be cut on May 31and it is anticipated that the foundations will be completed by July 8.
That will see a lot of the work undertaken during the close season, minimising the disruption for the Grecians’ preparations for their return to League One for the 2022/23 season. The building will be constructed offsite before being delivered and constructed in mid-October with the hope things will be completed and handed over to the Grecians at a total cost of £2.978 million by mid-December.
Nick Hawker, chair of the Supporters’ Trust, said: “We are delighted to be able to tell our supporters that this work is finally going ahead.
“The current building is no longer fit for purpose, and although we would have all preferred to have gone ahead at the lower price, the crisis in the construction industry meant this was simply not possible.
“The increase in cost has been underwritten by the Supporters’ Trust by way of the loan facility agreed by its members earlier in the year. Due diligence has also been undertaken on the new contractor, who have constructed facilities for other football clubs including Bournemouth and Wolves.
“Our project team have worked hard to drive down the cost and there is a reduction from Modulek’s original tender. Importantly, we have retained all the features of the original plans.”
Modulek sales director Brian Pester said the company was delighted to be working with the Grecians and delivering a two-tiered structure comprising a new and larger gymnasium, proper canteen facilities (no longer shared with the gym), larger changing facilities, proper office accommodation and a theatre/analysis/classroom.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Exeter City Football Club,” Pester said. “Having helped with the design and feasibility a few years ago, we are really happy that we could step in and have pulled out all the stops to get this project off the ground.
“We were able to quickly re-engineer the project to fit within the club’s committed budget and we will be mobilising on site during the off season to ensure that all the essential groundworks are complete and ready for the construction phase.”
To enable a transition from the old building to the new one, the existing pavilion – a temporary wooden structure erected in the 1970s - will be demolished in January 2023.
A campaign to ‘Kit Out the Cliff’ has been launched, where an inventory of items will be sponsored by businesses and individuals. To find out more about how you can help ‘Kit Out the Cliff,’ email chtg@ecfcst.co.uk.