The new supported housing for young people at a site beside West Lothian College was being built off-site by the Ayrshire firm Connect Modular which went into administration at the start of the year.

The news forced work to pause on the project, which is being delivered by Hub South East, on behalf of the council.

An update to an upcoming meeting of West Lothian Council Executive will report that council officers have been working with Hub South East to resume works as quickly as possible and minimise any delay to the project as a result of the contractor ceasing to trade.

Hub South East is engaging with alternative contractors and it is hoped a replacement contractor is soon to be appointed to finish the remaining construction elements of the project allowing the project to progress towards completion.

An announcement on the appointed contractor and next steps for completion of the project will be provided in due course. the council said.

Plans for the supported housing consist of 28 one-bedroom flats in total, with 16 flats designed to be flexible for future use as mainstream housing. Flexible office space will be provided for a maximum of ten staff members along with staff overnight accommodation to provide dedicated space and privacy, whilst still being on hand to assist and support the young people.

The affordable housing element of the project will provide 20 units with a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, along with two, three-bedroom flats

This news will feature as part of a monitoring report updating on the council’s Housing Capital Investment Programme for 2024/25.

The report highlights good progress on the 2024/25 Housing capital programme with construction work progressing on three new build sites - Houston Road and Simpson Parkway in Livingston as well as Deanburn in Linlithgow. This will see an additional 80 homes added to the council’s social housing stock by Summer 2026.  Construction work is also well underway at Winchburgh Grange, which will provide 16 new two-bedroom flats in Summer 2025.

Significant investment is also being made in the housing stock to improve the overall standard of the stock, meet energy efficiency standards and increase the number of available houses for West Lothian residents.

A West Lothian Council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting: “The council has been made aware of the situation regarding Connect Modular.

“The council is not in a direct contract with Connect Modular Hub South East, a key delivery partner for the council, appointed Connect Modular for the construction phase of the project.

“The council remains committed to the delivery of new affordable housing in West Lothian and we are working closely with our delivery partner Hub South East to seek clarity on the developing situation and a way forward for the project.”