Bedfordwell site homes builder reported to have filed for administration
The company with a contract with Eastbourne Borough Council to build 100 affordable homes on the Bedfordwell Pumping Station site is reported to have filed for administration.
Boutique Modern, based in Newhaven, started preparatory work on the landmark site near the railway line in Eastbourne earlier this year.
The company has already stopped work on two sites in Lancing, West Sussex, where homes were nearing completion.
Eastbourne Borough Council said in a statement today: "We have been informed that Boutique Modern has filed for administration.
"This is very sad news for the company and all the employees. We hope that a solution can be found that includes the continued employment of all the staff at Boutique Modern.
"We remain absolutely committed to the development of this important local site.
"We are working with our partners to ensure there will be no impact on the delivery of over 100 much needed new homes for our residents. Accordingly, we remain confident that Bedfordwell Road will become a landmark development in the long and proud history of affordable housing in Eastbourne."
Meanwhile, Adur District Council in West Sussex issued a statement yesterday which said: "We are urgently seeking information after housebuilding firm Boutique Modern filed an application to go into administration."
Boutique Modern is building 16 homes on two sites in Lancing, West Sussex, for the council. The local authority said the project was at “an advanced stage of construction” and was due to finish this year.
Adur said: “Work has stopped at both sites and we're seeking to liaise with the new administrators to get more information about the projects.”
Eastbourne Reporter has approached Boutique Modern for confirmation.
Boutique Modern describes itself as a modular manufacturer specialising in supplying local authorities and housing associations. Homes are built in the factory and assembled on site.
Its website states: “We pride ourselves on quality and design, ensuring our products create happy end-users and beautiful places. Our local scale delivery model is focused on maximising social value and generating people-focused community wealth.
“We are proud to be the first certified B Corporation in the UK Modular Construction industry.”
The Bedfordwell development includes 80 affordable rent properties comprising two and three-bedroom houses and one and two-bedroom flats.
Eastbourne Borough Council said in a press release earlier this year: "The Grade II-listed pump house, a familiar sight for train passengers near Eastbourne Railway Station, will also be sensitively renovated to accommodate 20 shared ownership flats and a commercial unit."
According to Construction Index, building modular homes in factories has been suggested as the solution to UK construction industry's problems. However, over the past couple of years several similar companies have closed their factories.
