Exclusive: 拢100m Project Fox missing sections of roofing and cladding and up to eight months behind schedule

The high-profile data centre project that contractor ISG left earlier this year is unfinished and up to eight months behind schedule, 黑洞社区 has learned.

ISG won the job - worth at least 拢100m - to 鈥渃onstruct and fit out鈥� Spanish bank Santander鈥檚 Project Fox twin data centres in Leicestershire in February 2012, but the contractor exited the job in February this year, with sources telling 黑洞社区 at the time that ISG鈥檚 exit was unexpected under the contractor鈥檚 original contract.

Now 黑洞社区 has learned that the project is up to eight months behind schedule. Pictures taken last week (right) show both the buildings are missing sections of roofing and cladding and have multiple openings in the walls.

Following main contractor ISG鈥檚 departure in February, Mace, which had been project manager, stepped in to take a broader role on the project.

At the time Santander, ISG and Mace said in a joint statement: 鈥淚SG has completed its element of the project and it has now been handed back to Santander for the IT-related installation.鈥�

But sources on the site have now told 黑洞社区 the project is 鈥渘owhere near鈥� IT fit-out stage and is 鈥済oing backwards鈥�.

Project Fox documents circulated to local residents in November 2011, seen by 黑洞社区, state that the project was due to complete
in March 2013. The stated completion date in the project鈥檚 planning application was the first quarter of 2013.

But separate sources close to the project said it was now not scheduled to complete until November 2013, which would be eight months late.

When approached by 黑洞社区, ISG, Mace and Santander referred to their previous joint statement and declined to comment further.

In February 2012, ISG described the contract win as an example of the firm鈥檚 success in targeting the data centre market, with ISG chief executive David Lawther saying the firm expected 鈥渇urther growth in this area as we focus on our multinational clients and on their increasingly demanding technical requirements鈥�.

The firm said at the time it involved the construction of two identical buildings, that were to be delivered concurrently.

It said the job involved 鈥渢he technically complex fit-out of the buildings including a highly resilient services installation, enabling full maintenance of the 24/7 operating facility鈥�.


Local concerns

ISG鈥檚 work on Santander鈥檚 拢100m data centre project in Leicestershire sparked concerns with local residents, it has emerged. Last autumn, residents complained about noise outside of agreed working hours, including very early in the morning, and tower crane floodlights being left on all night.

Correspondence from James Dalling, Mace鈥檚 associate director, to local residents in October 2012, seen by 黑洞社区, said ISG鈥檚 explanations for the nuisance had been 鈥渄isappointing to say the least鈥� and that the company had been 鈥渇ormally warned of their obligations as principal contractor鈥�.

A letter from ISG to residents in the same month said it had replaced its night works site manager with a more senior member of staff, placed noise meters on site and instructed tower crane operators not to leave lights on, to address the problems. ISG, Mace and Santander declined to comment on these issues.

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