West Norfolk housing schemes face further problems

Florence Fields and Salter's Road in King's Lynn, where nearly 300 homes are set to be built at the two sites, are likely to face delays due to Bowie Construction stopping work.

It follows months of "extreme weather" that has left developments water-logged and behind schedule.

Some of the new affordable homes which have been built in King's Lynn (Image: BCKLWN)

Lovell Homes, the developer working with West Norfolk Council to deliver the new housing schemes, is now having to find a new building firm to take on the projects  - the contract for Florence Fields alone is worth £12m.

The fresh hurdles faced by West Norfolk Council were revealed to its members by Alistair Beale, cabinet member for business, at a full council meeting.

He said Salter's Road, where more than 70 homes are being built, could face a five-week delay due to the issue.

Whereas Florence Fields, which is at an earlier stage in its construction and has had months of flooding woes, could face bigger problems, with work being delayed by 12 months.

The entrance to the Florence Fields site (Image: Chris Bishop)

"Construction is always a challenge," said Mr Beale.

"The issue is the responsibility of Lovell to resolve and it is treating this as an extreme priority." 

Mr Beale added that Lovell may be able to complete some of the work needed itself at Salter's Road but it will likely need to find a larger firm to carry out the groundwork at Florence Fields - a complicated project that involves significant drainage mitigation measures.

Florence Fields waterlogged in November 2023 (Image: Submitted)

The contract issues are the latest problem to arise at Florence Fields, which has faced rising costs and a host of problems related to flooding.

Both projects play an important part in West Norfolk Council's strategy to deliver new affordable homes and private rental properties in the borough.