Tall & Urban News

Construction company Lendlease has lost a landmark battle over who should foot a £5 million (US$6.5 million) cladding bill in two of Manchester’s Green Quarter tower blocks.

For over a year, the Liberal Democrats on Manchester council have demanded that Lendlease be blacklisted from council contracts until they agreed to pay the fee.

Instead, Lendlease went on to be awarded a huge £330 million (US$432 million) contract to refurbish Manchester Town Hall, despite opposition from the Liberal Democrats.

Manchester Liberal Democrat leader John Leech, who opposed Lendlease’s bid for the Town Hall, made the demands in several public council meetings but to no avail from the Labour-run administration.

At the time, Manchester Council’s deputy leader, Nigel Murphy, said Lendlease “offered the best overall value” and “opportunities for local people.” He also said they did not consider “external factors”.

However, it has now been announced that Lendlease, along with freeholder Pemberstone, will pay out more than £5 million (US$6.5 million) to replace the flammable cladding on the two Green Quarter blocks.

Manchester Liberal Democrat Leader, John Leech, welcomed the news, saying: “This is a huge, huge win for local people and I’m delighted that Lendlease and Pemberstone have finally taken responsibility and will pay for the new cladding. I really hope this sets a precedent across the country. It is, however, a sad fact that Manchester Council ignored Lib Dem demands to strip Lendlease of the Town Hall contract and refused to publicly call on them to pay the bill.”

A Lendlease spokesperson said: “We can confirm residents will not need to pay for the costs of replacement cladding. The process, which has involved multiple companies, has taken longer than anyone would have liked, and we regret how unsettling it has been for residents.”

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