WINCHESTER City Council will seek damages for delays to the Chesil Lodge Extra Care scheme.

The project on Chesil Street for 52 flats for over-55s had an initial completion date of November and is now due to be finished in February 2018.

But the city council was unable to confirm how much they were seeking for the delays when asked by the Chronicle under the Freedom of Information Act.

When asked whether construction company Galliford Try were being ‘fined’ £15,000 a week due to the delay, a spokeswoman said: “The construction contract between Galliford Try and Winchester City Council sets out the position regarding delays to the completion date caused by either party. The council will seek Liquidated and Ascertained Damages (LADS), as provided for in the contract, for any delays for which we consider Galliford Try is responsible. LADs are based on the loss of income to WCC caused by the delay (rents and sales).”

Following an FOI request by the Chronicle requesting a figure, a spokesman said: “The LADS that we expect to impose are calculated on a formula based on a multiple of the loss of income in rents and sales from the project. We do not yet know how much the figure is likely to be as the LADs will not be calculated until a period after the practical completion of the project.”

City council leader councillor Caroline Horrill confirmed the project was late at overview and scrutiny committee, saying: “We are going to deliver first class accommodation and we would rather it was a few weeks delayed to get the perfect project.”