Stornoway firm win Lews Castle repairs contract 14/2/13
Construction firm Neil Mackay and Co of Stornoway is to be awarded the contract of
finishing off repairs to the Lews Castle.
Work was abandoned in November when main contractor Patton of Northern Ireland collapsed
with £63 million debts.
The last three months has seen a standoff between the Comhairle, which is leading
the castle redevelopment, and Patton’s administrator, Tom Keenan.
Mackay’s, which was the local sub-contractor for the preliminary works, is owed nearly
£400,000 from Patton’s but is unlikely to get its cash.
The Stornoway company, which had about 20 employees working on the castle last year,
were placed second in the original tender bid.
Outside works at the Castle is about halfway complete while some internal repairs,
including asbestos removal, is still required. The preliminary contract on the crumbling
building should have been finished by now.
The council was reluctant to strike off Patton too soon as it risked losing a £200,000
performance bond.
In any case, the next phase of the castle redevelopment - major works worth about
£9 million - has been held up as final details over tender costs are still to be
agreed. The major project would return the crumbling Lews Castle in Stornoway to
its former glory and convert it into plush hotel and heritage centre.
The Lews Castle Project Board - which includes representatives from Western Isles
Council, the Stornoway Trust, UHI Lews Castle College, HIE, Scottish Natural Heritage
and Stornoway Regeneration Group - agreed to award the job of resuming the preliminary
works to Neil Mackay’s.