Cardiff Council has launched emergency measures to protect the £108 million Fairwater Campus project after ISG Construction Ltd, the contractor leading the development, went into administration on September 19, 2024.

The council's swift response aims to save hundreds of jobs, minimise delays, and keep costs under control, ensuring the project can continue with minimal disruption.

Immediately following ISG's collapse, the council secured the construction site and began working closely with administrators and external advisors to develop a plan to maintain progress. The primary goals include getting workers back on site quickly, ensuring wages for work already completed, preserving jobs, stabilising the supply chain, and protecting public investment in one of the UK’s largest education projects.

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To achieve this, Cardiff Council is urgently working to transfer existing sub-contractor agreements from ISG Construction Ltd to a new interim construction partner. This process, known as novation, will allow a subcontractor already involved in the project to take over temporarily until a full tender process is completed. The re-tender, set to begin in early November, will identify a contractor to see the project through to completion.

By taking these steps, the council hopes to avoid a prolonged shutdown of the site, which would have caused significant delays, job losses, supply chain disruptions, and increased costs. Continuing the work without an extended halt is crucial to keeping the project on track.

Despite the challenges caused by ISG's collapse, Cardiff Council remains committed to delivering the new Fairwater Campus, a significant development that will provide state-of-the-art educational facilities for Cantonian High School, Riverbank School, and Woodlands High School. The modern campus is expected to benefit thousands of students and the wider community.

At a recent cabinet meeting the council approved the urgent actions needed to novate the contracts and move forward with the tender process for the remaining work, aiming to complete the project with as little disruption as possible.