黑洞社区

Family-owned contractor Higgins has said delays on schemes because of second staircase rules sent turnover tumbling last year as the firm slumped further into the red because of the cost of building remediation work.

The Essex-based firm said delays had meant it had pared back its workforce with 拢1.2m spent on restructuring in the year to July 2023 while it has made a further provision of 拢13.5m for post-Grenfell remediation work on top of the 拢5.5m it booked the year before.

It added: 鈥淲here appropriate, recovery will be vigorously pursued from the supply chain or through insurance claims.鈥�

Higgins said profitability had also been hit by 鈥渟ignificant build cost inflation鈥� with the impact of all these issues meaning pre-tax losses widened from 拢5.4m to nearly 拢26m. Turnover was down 20% to 拢172m.

The firm said a rejig at its partnerships business last year had 鈥渞esult[ed] in a significant improvement in operational efficiency鈥�. A reshuffle of the business last summer also saw a new group of the Higgins family move into the top roles.

Brothers Richard Higgins, group chairman, and Martin Higgins, group director, are due to retire later this year ahead of which Richard鈥檚 sons Declan Higgins has become chief executive and Dominic Higgins become chief operating officer. Martin鈥檚 son William Higgins has been appointed group executive director.