Hackney Council Signs £30m Wates Deal for Britannia Shoreditch 2026

Key Points

• Hackney Council has approved a contract worth up to £30.1m including VAT (£25.1m excluding VAT) with Wates Construction Ltd to restart work on Phase 2b of the Britannia Masterplan in Hoxton, Shoreditch.
• The completion of the 371 homes has been delayed by a year, moving from late 2026 to a new practical completion date of 23 November 2027.
• Work originally stopped in June after the previous main contractor, Ardmore Construction Group Ltd, entered administration, leaving none of the four residential blocks watertight.
• Wates Construction Ltd was appointed directly without a competitive tender under an urgency clause in the Notting Hill Genesis contractors’ framework and took over the site on 30 June.
• Three of the four blocks—which include towers of 25 and 20 storeys—are classified as higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022.
• A second contract covering internal fit-outs and landscaping is expected to be submitted for committee approval in spring 2027.

Shoreditch (East London Times) November 13, 2026 – Hackney Council has agreed to pay up to £30m to restart construction on the final phase of a major Shoreditch regeneration project, pushing the completion date for 371 new homes back by a full year to 23 November 2027.

Why has the Britannia Masterplan in Shoreditch been delayed until late 2027?

The final phase of the Britannia Masterplan, known as Phase 2b, ground to a halt in June after the local authority’s main contractor, Ardmore Construction Group Ltd, entered administration. Prior to the contractor’s collapse, the Hoxton development had been scheduled for completion in late 2026.

Following the halt in construction, Hackney Council warned in July that the overall cost of Phase 2b was likely to exceed its previously approved budget of £196.9m. Under the newly approved arrangements, the local authority has assumed the risk for Ardmore’s unfinished work and established a revised practical completion date of 23 November 2027.

How much is Hackney Council paying Wates Construction Ltd and how was the firm selected?

On Monday 2 November, Hackney Council’s Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee approved a contract worth up to £30.1m including VAT, or £25.1m excluding VAT, for Wates Construction Ltd to carry out the next stage of work on the site.

Wates Construction Ltd was appointed directly without undergoing a competitive tender process. Hackney Council utilised a specific clause within the Notting Hill Genesis contractors’ framework that permits direct selection “for reasons of urgency”. Wates initially took over the Hoxton site on 30 June and has been operating under a bespoke pre-construction agreement to formulate a “recovery plan” for the stalled project.

What urgent works are required to make the four Hoxton residential blocks watertight?

Although the development’s two primary towers—standing at 25 and 20 storeys—appear close to completion from the outside, Hackney Council confirmed that none of the four blocks were watertight when Ardmore Construction Group Ltd left the site. The facades of the buildings remain open in areas where construction hoists are currently fixed to the structures.

The £30.1m contract with Wates Construction Ltd covers three primary areas:

• Making the four residential buildings watertight.
• Purchasing critical construction materials and long-lead items.
• Providing continued site management.

Additionally, three of the four blocks on the site are classified as higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022, requiring strict regulatory compliance during the completion of the exterior shells.

What is the next stage for the internal works and landscaping at the Britannia site?

Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Inclusive Neighbourhoods at Hackney Council, stated that the local authority is adopting a “phased” approach to finishing the development.

Work packages for the internal fit-outs of the 371 homes and the surrounding landscaping are currently still being assessed and re-procured. According to Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, these remaining elements will be covered by a second contract that will subsume the initial £30.1m agreement. This second contract is expected to go before the Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee for sign-off in spring 2027.

What is the background of the Britannia Masterplan regeneration scheme?

The Britannia Masterplan is a large-scale, multi-phase regeneration programme located in Hoxton, within the Shoreditch area of the London Borough of Hackney. Phase 2b represents the final stage of the wider masterplan and is designed to deliver 371 homes across four residential blocks, featuring two high-rise towers of 25 and 20 storeys. With an originally approved budget of £196.9m for this final phase, the project faced severe disruption in June when main contractor Ardmore Construction Group Ltd entered administration, prompting emergency intervention by Hackney Council to secure the site and prevent weather damage to the exposed structures.

How could this one-year construction delay affect prospective residents and Hackney taxpayers?

For prospective residents awaiting the delivery of the 371 homes in Hoxton, the revised practical completion date of 23 November 2027 means waiting at least twelve months longer than originally scheduled before taking occupancy. Furthermore, because the internal fit-outs and landscaping are subject to a separate procurement process running until spring 2027, final handover timelines remain dependent on the smooth execution of both phased contracts.

For Hackney taxpayers and the local authority’s capital budget, assuming the risk of Ardmore’s unfinished work alongside the £30.1m urgency contract places upward financial pressure on a phase already projected in July to exceed its £196.9m budget. The final financial impact on the council will become clearer in spring 2027 when the second, overarching contract is presented to the Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee for approval.