Kirkwall’s much-delayed and over-budget new care home Kirkjuvagr House is now not expected to be ready in September – making it 14 months late and £1.5 million more than the original estimated cost.
It is the latest in a long line of delays to the project, which was initially expected to be finished in June last year before being pushed back to May this year.
However, since that previous estimate contractor R Clouston Ltd submitted “an extension of time claim ” in February.
Council officers deliberated over the claim and have now agreed a new completion date of September 8 this year.
This means the Kirkwall care home project is now 14-months behind that original handover date.
It is being built at Soulisquoy to replace the aging St Rognvald’s care home.
The new building will be a single-storey structure made up of four wings.
The accommodation includes en-suite bathrooms with the flexibility to add two further 10 en-suite accommodation wings in future.
Why is the new Kirkwall care home being delayed again?
So, why the delays?
The latest completion estimate has been stated in a report given to Orkney’s Integration Joint Board today.
This report gave six reasons for the hefty setbacks:
- Delays to work creating an access for the road used by heavy vehicles at the site, as well as moving streetlighting and an asbestos drain.
- Significant weather delays occurred in the first year when temperatures were too low for underbuilding and blockwork construction.
- Delays in getting design details from both consultants and the council
- Delays because of variations in design for the building warrant.
- Delays to the formal applications for water, drainage and power supplies, as well as further delays in connecting these utilities.
- Delays relating to traffic calming measures on Muddiesdadle Road, immediately below the new care facility.
The care home is being built in the west of Kirkwall. Image: Andrew Stewart/DC Thomson.
The council-funded, 40-bed building has also continually faced rising costs.
The price of building the new care home is being put at £13.4m, although the original cost agreed was £12.27 million.
As it is also expected to come in £325,000 over the revised budget, it appears the final cost will be about £13.7m.
During today’s IJB meeting, officials were asked where the money to cover the overspend would come from.
Chairwoman Rachael King, confirmed it would come from the council.
However, she also said whether it comes from the IJB or the council’s accounts, “it is public money.”
She also said: “lessons would be learned”, from the council’s perspective.