黑洞社区

A Qatari consultant, founded by two British former Davis Langdon partners, has warned there is 鈥渘o quick fix鈥� to the problem of poor housing for Qatar 2022 World Cup construction workers due to the country鈥檚 slow planning system.

As 黑洞社区 revealed in November, Quantex Qatar 鈥� founded 20 months ago by former Doha-based Davis Langdon partners Simon Trafford and Neil Hamilton 鈥� has launched a venture to build 鈥渉umane鈥� housing for Qatari labourers with US-based developer Global 黑洞社区 Solutions.

The improved accommodation would include health centres, shops, recreational areas and psychologists鈥� consulting rooms.

The venture had hoped to open its first beds in April, but that is not likely to happen now until at least July as the Qatari authorities have not agreed a streamlined planning process to speed up delivery.

The issue of squalid and overcrowded worker accommodation in Qatar came under renewed scrutiny this month, after the Guardian revealed 183 workers from Nepal died in Qatar last year.

Trafford told 黑洞社区: 鈥淭he issue is that when submitted, there is currently no streamlined planning process for the approval of migrant worker homes and therefore as it stands, such schemes will fall in to line and be treated as any other project which takes months getting through the various Planning and Civil Defence approval processes. 

鈥淐onsequently, without any changes to the system in processing applications for the construction of migrant workers homes, there can be no quick fix, and no quick delivery of improved housing for the migrant community.鈥�

The Qatar 2022 organising committee has said workers鈥� rights and conditions on construction projects will be protected and a workers鈥� charter will be enforced to 鈥渆nsure the health, safety and dignity of workers鈥�.

However, one of the largest modern worker accommodation developments currently under construction 鈥� the Barwa Al Baraha scheme for 53,000 workers by developer Waseef Company 鈥� is running four years behind schedule, it emerged this month, raising questions about Qatar鈥檚 ability to deliver large worker accommodation schemes quickly.

The first phase of the $1bn (拢600m) development opened this month 鈥� four years later than planned.