Teddington residents were hit with a major blow this morning as Richmond Council announced the contractor for the new Elleray Hall project has pulled out.

The local authority put simply Cosmur 'is no longer able to deliver the project' and that a procurement process to find a new contractor has been launched immediately.

Initially, Teddington's North Lane Car Park was closed for good back in January so that hoardings could be erected and archeological investigations conducted, as the site will play host to the new community centre.

Construction works were due to start in February 2023 with a delivery date set of 'early 2024', however Richmond Council has now confirmed the new Elleray Hall will be ready for the end of 2024, with construction to begin 'later this year'.

Teddington's North Lane Car Park will make way for the new community centre (Credit: Nub News)

Cllr Nancy Baldwin, Spokesperson for Communities, Equalities and the Voluntary Sector, said: "We feel residents' frustration at this unexpected delay – we're as excited as anyone about work getting underway and to see the new community centre starting to take shape. 

"We remain 100 per cent committed to delivering this vital new space for Teddington residents and are beginning the process right away to find a new contractor. I want to thank residents for their patience and understanding."

Preparatory works and archaeological investigations will now take place over the summer at North Lane East Car Park.

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Elleray Hall for the past 45 years has been a social lifeline for the elderly within the Teddington community, a place for them to take part in a range of activities run by the Elleray Community Association and has remained an integral support service for Richmond Council.

However, the building has become incredibly difficult to maintain over the years with soaring heating bills and its increasingly run down look, which led to proposals for its redevelopment that were approved in June 2022.

North Lane Car Park has been vital for local businesses and residents over the years, but it is now set to make way for the new community centre.

The old Elleray Hall building off Broad Street will be knocked down and replaced with 16 affordable flats which will part fund the new centre, and will include private gardens and communal spaces, car-free units with the exception of the two accessible wheelchair units and a car club space.

During the construction phase of the new centre, the current centre on Elleray Road will remain open to the public and services from the centre will continue to run. The Elleray Community Association will only move into the new building once it is complete, to allow for a continuous provision of its key services for older people.

Elleray Hall of Elleray Rd, Teddington (Credit: Nub News)

Plans for a new Elleray Hall centre have not been met with united support from the Teddington community, with a petition against plans to build a new centre on the North Lane car park and to develop the old site signed by over 1,500 signatures, though the wording of a leaflet advertising it was later criticised for "containing false and misleading statements."

The group's main concerns are about the impact on parking spaces and congestion.

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They have also slammed the way the consultation is being run and say the drawings of the affordable housing units are inaccurate.

"From the outset, the residents most directly impacted by the proposals have been made to feel at best peripheral and, at worst, overlooked entirely," they said, in an article for Nub News. 

"The residents' petition – which has surpassed 1,000 signatures – sends a clear message that the Council's proposals are at odds with the needs of the local community," they added in a separate piece.

Despite the opposition, and the setback to construction plans, Richmond Council has stated it is fully committed to the new Elleray Hall project. It is currently unclear how great the delayed timeframe for the new affordable housing units is at the current Elleray Hall site.

Residents who wish to voice their questions about the scheme and the progress of works, are encouraged to email : [email protected]