Pledge work due to restart soon on Shrewsbury Flax Mill regeneration project
Work will start on the construction phase of Shrewsbury's Flax Mill regeneration project "as soon as possible", a key project member has said.
Councillor Alan Mosley, chairman of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings group that is one of the partners on the scheme with English Heritage and Shropshire Council said he remains "confident" in the future of the project.
His comments come after it emerged lead contractor Wates is no longer on site.
Councillors are due to examine new estimated project costs at a cabinet meeting tomorrow after the completion of the first phase of exploratory work. Work on the restoration phase had been due to begin this spring. Details of how the project will progress are to be examined at tomorrow's cabinet meeting.
Councillor Mosley said: "The Friends are continuing to work closely with all partners to ensure that the work phase begins as soon as possible and I am confident that this will happen."
Shropshire Council said today work had not been "suspended" at the site.
The council issued a further statement on behalf of Wates Construction.
Phil Harrison, managing director at Wates Construction, said: "We have spent the past eight months conducting value engineering and processing sub-contracting tenders to establish the most cost-efficient means to deliver the work, alongside construction trials within the main mill building.
"Now complete, these detailed plans are being reviewed by the Flax Mill design team and project partners to determine the next phase of the project."
Heritage Lottery Fund cash worth £12.8 million was granted in July last year. European Union funding of £6.6 million has also been agreed.
Project manager Elizabeth Perkins has also recently left her post, with Shropshire Council officers taking on the running of the scheme.
