Sisk’s contract will deliver a new annex building as well as refurbished offices and civic spaces. The revamp and restoration of the Grade II listed building will also “prioritise sustainability and eco-friendly design”, the council said
The civic centre was built in Wood Green in 1958 and listed by English Heritage in 2018. It has been closed since 2020 following the discovery of “serious safety and structural issues”
The council decided that restoring the building was the best value option for the council’s accommodation needs. It also provides opportunities to make alternative use of the council’s existing buildings in Wood Green as part of continued investment in the borough, it said.
The project was approved by the council’s planning sub-committee in September 2023. A contract notice published in November 2023 put the cost at £45m.
The council entered a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) with Sisk in August 2024. This concludes on 29th November 2024 and the council last week approved awarding Sisk the main construction contract at a fixed and maximum price of £54,077,000 (including contingency).
Despite the cost escalation, the council decided to stick with Sisk for reasons set out in a report by council officers to elected members: “It was felt that going back into the wider market – which although was calming, was still challenging and because of the project’s complex nature on which many contractors choose not to bid – would not have been in the council’s best commercial interest. It would have incurred significant time delay that would have incurred additional cost, as well as an increased the tender prices received due to inflation. The council would have also been going back to the market with a ‘blank sheet’ and lost the benefit of what had been achieved through the original procurement and was potentially secured via John Sisk’s submission.”
Cllr Ruth Gordon, cabinet member for placemaking and local economy, said: “Steeped in a proud and important local history, this truly iconic building holds a special place in the hearts of many people. This is really an exciting step forward for this project which will re-establish the civic centre as the focal point for public life at the very heart of our borough.
“Residents will understandably ask whether the council can afford to continue with this project given the funding challenges it faces. The business case, which we have continually retested, makes it clear this scheme offers the best value for money of all the options available. Doing nothing is not an option and even that, given our responsibility to the listed building, would cost millions and not bring the site back into civic use.”
