The future of the £18.67 million redevelopment of Whittlesey’s Manor Leisure Centre has been thrown into uncertainty after main contractor Curo Construction announced it has ceased trading with immediate effect. The collapse of the London-based contractor was confirmed today, May 12, with more than 100 staff reportedly told the company had “exhausted all options” to remain operational.
Curo Construction had been working alongside Fenland District Council and Alliance Leisure Services on the major redevelopment and expansion of the council-owned leisure centre in Station Road, Whittlesey.
In an immediate response to the company’s collapse, Fenland District Council has begun removing references to both Curo and the redevelopment project from its website and public-facing online accounts.
Searches for previously published council pages relating to the project are now returning “404 – Page not found” messages.
The sudden development comes only days after Curo hosted a “meet the buyer” event at Manor Leisure Centre aimed at recruiting local subcontractors, electricians, carpenters, tradespeople and suppliers to support the scheme.
The event, held at the leisure centre’s soft play area, promoted opportunities for local firms to become involved in what was described as a transformational project for the town.
Curo had outlined plans to help deliver a full redevelopment and expansion of the site, including a new entrance and café, refurbished swimming pool, new fitness suites and studios, sports hall, rifle range, integrated adventure play area, padel courts, family play space and landscaped external areas.
In February, Fenland District Council acknowledged the project would “come at a significant cost to the council in terms of construction costs and borrowing costs”, with the redevelopment estimated at £18.67 million.
How today’s collapse will affect the Manor Leisure Centre redevelopment remains unclear.
However, the implications are expected to be significant, with questions likely over procurement, delays, contractual liabilities and rising costs should the council need to appoint a replacement contractor.
Curo Construction had already been heavily involved in design development and risk assessment work for the project.
Council documentation linked to the redevelopment showed the contractor had undertaken reviews of the existing structure, drainage investigations and assessments of corrosion to the building’s steel frame.
The company had also been involved in specialist discussions surrounding the proposed rifle range, including consultation requirements with the National Smallbore Rifle Association.
Internal project papers acknowledged several construction risks associated with the ageing leisure centre building, including inaccessible structural elements, drainage uncertainties and steelwork corrosion which would only be fully understood once work commenced.
Fenland District Council originally moved forward with the redevelopment plans through Alliance Leisure Services under the UK Leisure Framework.
The project team included Varsity Consulting, Saunders Boston Architects and Curo Construction as lead contractor.
Curo’s collapse follows mounting financial pressures within the business. According to reports published today by industry outlet Construction Enquirer, subcontractors had increasingly pursued debt recovery action over unpaid bills, while a winding-up petition had recently been lodged against the company by a steelwork subcontractor.
Latest accounts for the year ending September 2024 showed turnover had fallen sharply from £157 million to £108 million, while cash reserves dropped from £22 million to £11 million.
Directors Darren Pettitt and Steve Conlin reportedly informed employees the business had “exhausted all options” to secure its future.
Workers at both Curo Construction and Curo Interiors were told not to return to sites or offices unless specifically instructed.
At present, neither Fenland District Council nor Alliance Leisure Services has publicly confirmed how the Whittlesey redevelopment project will proceed.
For residents and local businesses who had expected work to move forward in the coming months, today’s announcement leaves major uncertainty hanging over one of Fenland’s biggest planned leisure investments in recent years
