Construction company Henry Boot Management is suing the Grocers’ Company for more than £3m in a dispute over a major refurbishment scheme in central London.
A claim issued at London’s High Court, which has just been made publicly available, says that the Grocers’ Company has refused to compensate Henry Boot for delays to an £8m major renovation project at 8-10 Old Jewry, London EC2.
Henry Boot says that extra work, inadequate designs, and the failure of the Grocers’ Company to provide timely Party Wall Awards and correct design information about the roof plant resulted in delays in excess of 18 weeks. However, it is alleged that the Grocers’ Company refused to agree that Henry Boot was entitled to a time extension for the overrun period.
As a result, Henry Boot contends that it was obliged to seek four separate adjudications in 2001, and won a full extension of time to cover the entire period of overrun on the 57-week-long project.
But despite the adjudications, the Grocers’ Company, a livery company of the City of London, has allegedly refused to compensate Henry Boot for the extra work and delays, has paid only a fraction more than the original contract sum, and has not paid for all changes, losses and expenses.
Henry Boot is now suing for £3,071,228.56 for losses and expenses allegedly incurred as a result of the delay and disruption.
Alternatively, the company is claiming damages for breach of contract, comprised of £1.7m for head office overheads, an acceleration claim of £563,000 and £770,000 for changes.
References: PLS News 24/2/03
