FIRM COLLAPSE ‘WILL NOT HALT VILLAGE PLAN’
COMMITMENT TO £23M WELLNESS SITE SCHEME
STAKEHOLDERS have confirmed they are still committed to delivering multi-million-pound developments in Bridgend county as the construction company behind them is being placed into administration.
Partners say they are seeking new arrangements to ensure Bridgend’s Sunnyside Wellness Village and a £2.3m children’s hub will still be built following the news that WRW Construction is set to go into administration.
WRW, one of Wales’ leading firms, said the closure came as it had come under “significant financial stress”, despite a having a large number of orders.
Plans for Sunnyside Wellness Village include 59 homes and a £10.7m healthcare centre, located on the site of the old Sunnyside council offices and magistrates court in Bridgend. The whole project, approved by Bridgend Council in 2019, is expected to cost £23m, with £18m funding from Welsh Government.
Housing association and care provider Linc Cymru is behind the development, which is being funded by Welsh Government and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB). The company was also working with WRW to develop a housing estate in Malvern Drive, Cardiff.
Louise Attwood, Linc Cymru executive director of property and commercial, said the company is “still committed” to delivering the wellness village with the government, council and CTMUHB.
She added: “We are working with our partners to manage the completion of this project which will bring a unique housing and health development to the area. By combining health care and housing provision, putting wellbeing at the heart of the development, Sunnyside Wellness Village will provide new homes that meet the needs of local people and support the community through a state-of-the-art health centre provision.”
Bridgend council approved plans for a new children’s residential home and social services hub to be built at the former Brynmenyn Primary School site during a meeting in June. The local authority wants to relocate the emergency and assessment unit currently based at Maple Tree House, a home for eight to 17-year-olds, as well as its fostering and placements team.
A council spokesperson said the closure of WRW is “very disappointing news” and the authority is in discussions with partners about what to do next about the wellness village and “further clarification is being sought by them from WRW Construction as a matter of urgency”.
They added: “While this will inevitably impact upon the timescales for all projects that the contractor was involved with, including the wellness village and the children’s hub, we remain confident that another high-quality contractor will soon be confirmed, and that the projects will still be delivered.”
A spokesperson for CTMUHB said: “We remain committed to the construction of the Bridgend Health and Wellbeing Centre, and to the benefits that it will bring to the community. We are now exploring the options open to us to ensure that this project is delivered.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said “We are working with partners to determine next steps to progress the project”.