Burnham-On-Sea’s £360,000 Marine Cove gardens restoration project has been thrown into chaos after the main building contractor overseeing the work went into administration.
Sedgemoor District Council confirmed to Burnham-On-Sea.com on Monday that the building company St Blaise has called in administrators.
Harley Cook, Sedgemoor’s parks and open spaces officer, told us: “Unfortunately, St Blaise has been unable to complete the Marine Cove project after entering into administration.”
“It’s very unfortunate because the whole project was around 90% complete, with just a few finishing jobs.”
He admitted: “The news may well delay the opening of the park by a couple of months. We don’t have a new date yet, which is of course incredibly disappointing for all involved.”
Sedgemoor’s posters informing passers-by about the delay to the project – first reported here earlier this month – have had the words ‘bankrupt project’ scrawled over them, but Mr Cook said the project will still be completed.
The £360,000 refurbishment project – which is being part-funded with £344,200 from the Heritage Lottery Fund – includes new paving, landscaping, walls, fencing, lighting, seating and water features at the gardens, however the steal gates around the site will remain in place until an opening can be announced.
St Blaise, which is based in Dorset, specialises in the repair and conservation of historic buildings.
