The construction of a new community centre and homes in South West London has been delayed after a building contractor left the scheme.

The predicted cost of building the new Elleray Hall in Teddington already went £1.1million over budget in June last year.

The project will see Elleray Hall relocated near to North Lane car park on the site of an old depot. The old centre will then be demolished and 16 affordable homes built on its existing site on Elleray Road. Contractor Cosmur was appointed to build the new centre, which was expected to be completed in October this year.

But Richmond Council has revealed the contractor can no longer build the new centre. The council must now carry out another procurement process to find a new contractor. The authority said it expects building works to start later this year instead, and for the new centre to be completed by the end of 2024.

Elleray Hall Teddington. Credit: Richmond Council

It comes after the council's finance committee approved another £1.11m to build the new centre, on top of the original £3.04m budget, on June 27, 2022. A council report at the time said Brexit, Covid and the war in Ukraine had pushed costs up. It added the new centre was expected to be completed by October this year.

North Lane car park has been closed to the public since January this year to allow for the project to go ahead. The old centre will be demolished once the new Elleray Hall has been built so that Richmond Housing Partnership, the council's partner for the housing element of the scheme, can start work to build 16 affordable homes on the site.

Designs For The New Community Centre In Teddington - Image by Richmond Council Elleray Hall

The council previously said the existing centre is expensive and difficult to maintain, with thousands of pounds being spent every year on heating the non-energy efficient building. The authority said the new centre will continue to offer core services for older residents, while more groups and locals will be able to use it as it will have a more flexible design.

Lib Dem councillor Nancy Baldwin, spokesperson for communities, equalities and the voluntary sector, said: "We feel residents' frustration at this unexpected delay – we're as excited as anyone about work getting underway and to see the new community centre starting to take shape. We remain 100per cent committed to delivering this vital new space for Teddington residents and are beginning the process right away to find a new contractor. I want to thank residents for their patience and understanding." 

The council said it is still erecting hoarding around the car park site so preparatory works for the new centre, including archaeological investigations, can go ahead this summer. Cosmur has been contacted for comment but did not reply ahead of publication.