Retailer suing contractor after the failure of glass works in a store in Manchester

Source:

Marks & Spencer is suing contractor Lend Lease Construction for 拢1.42m after the 鈥渟pontaneous鈥� failure of 鈥渄efective鈥� glass works in a store in Manchester.

According to court papers filed at the High Court, Marks & Spencer is seeking to recover 拢1.4m in costs and lost profits from Lend Lease following the failure of glass work in its store in Longridge House in central Manchester.

The claim dates back to work undertaken by Lend Lease, formerly known as Bovis Lend Lease, in 1999 on the construction and fit out of the Marks & Spencer鈥檚 store on 7 Market Street.

It states that as part of the job, Lend Lease was asked to 鈥渄esign, procure, deliver and fit out a toughened bolted glass system to provide a vertical acoustic wall to the south elevation of the premises鈥�.

But ten years after completion of the job, in September 2009, 鈥渙ne pane forming part of the glass works failed,鈥� the claim says, adding: 鈥淭he failure was spontaneous and without warning. The area was cordoned off before the fractured glass fell to the ground, thereby averting the risk of serious injury to members of the public.鈥�

The court papers state that following a series of inspections the glass work was deemed to be 鈥渄efective鈥�, with Marks & Spencer appointing a team including engineer Buro Happold, consultant Gleeds and contractor Audas Project Management to undertake remedial work.

The claims states that Marks & Spencer is seeking to recover the 拢980,000 in costs for the remedial work, as well as 拢444,000 in lost profits while the remedial works were carried out, bringing the total claim to 拢1.42m.

Lend Lease declined to comment. Marks & Spencer has been contacted for comment.

Topics