| AdminHistory | Following discussions with contractors during 1963, a decision was made in autumn 196 to invite two contractors to submit tenders for 996 houses and 399 garages at Craigshill I North and Sourth. Each contractor sponsered a System of industrial construction that was meant to construct houses cheaply and more efficiently than traditional methods. The two contractors were John Laing Construction, who sponsored the Jesperson 12 M system, and Crudens Ltd who sponsored the Skarne construction method. After negotiations over the cost of the tender, Laing was appointed to the contract in December 1964.
Laing subsequently constructed the housing, but by January 1966 water ingress and damage by moisture was apparent and in September 1966 the ingress of rain during high winds was evident. Laing carried out some remedial work, the success of which was short lived. Further attempts to rectify the structural issues continued through the 1960s (and, indeed, into the 1980s). The issue of dampness in houses was to the major bugbear for many years for Corporation tenants.
Given the need for expensive remedial works and the loss of rentals through the inability of the Corporation to lease such defective housing, the Corporation proceeded to claim compensation from Laing in 1972. Laing, for its part, counter-claimed, demanding in the region of £800,000 from the Corporation. The technical aspects of the case hinged on who had been responsible for the defective elements of the construction. Although Laing had sponsored the Jesperson system of design, the Corporation architects had had some input.
The case was settled out of Court in December 1975, with the Corporation retaining £142,000 (which had been due to Laings for work done) plus another £70,000 payment. Each side paid its own legal expenses. |
| ScopeandContent | 91 relating to the legal case versus John Laing Ltd including:
1-7. Copy of the LDC's claim, and claim addenda, 1969.
8-79. Files of supporting evidence, including: copies of correspondence with Laings; copies of tenders; minutes of site meetings held during construction process; witness statements; technical reports on failurs and defects in construction; qualitative analysis; copies of tenders contracts; Clerks of Works' diaries; any other supporting evidence that could be found which detailed the chronology of events preceding the LDC's claim versus Laing, 1963-1975.
80-91. Files of photographic prints and slides showing defects in housing that had ben constructed by Laing, 1969. |