THE coronavirus pandemic has further delayed a problem-plagued flagship £12.5million extra-care housing scheme.

The redevelopment of Albion Mill in Blackburn will now not be complete until September with the first elderly residents moving in the following month.

The original start date was delayed by four years until August 2018 and work stopped again in December after main contractor Bardsley Construction went into administration.

In February developer Verum Victum Healthcare (VVHC) engaged Carroll Build to complete the canalside scheme in Ewood, promising a June completion date instead of the scheduled May.

This week the firm admitted the timetable has slipped again because of Covid-19 restrictions on construction.

Cllr Mohammed Khan, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council which with the NHS conceived the scheme, said: “This latest delay is disappointing but beyond our control.

“This is a very important project but the contractors must protect their workers. I hope they can now keep to the current timetable.”

His disappointment was echoed by his Conservative counterpart Cllr John Slater and Liberal Democrat Cllr Roy Davies.

VVHC chief executive Roy Kenny said the scheme should be completed ‘by the end of September’ after construction and occupied by the end of October.

He said: “Everyone’s looking forward to the scheme’s completion and to being able to move in. The delay is a little frustrating, but understandable in the circumstances.”

The project will provide 109 beds, including 50 extra-care apartments, 31 en-suite rooms for intermediate care, 24 dementia apartments and four rehabilitation apartments.

Darwen East ward’s Cllr Davies said: “I’m disappointed. How long have these delays been going on? I just hope this time they can keep to the schedule. We need more of this type of scheme to reduce bed blocking in local hospitals.”

Cllr Slater said: “This is yet another disappointing delay.”

Albion Mill includes 31 rooms to reduce bed-blocking at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals.

Two four-storey residential blocks will be linked by a three-storey building providing communal areas for use by the residents including dining room, TV lounge, library, hair salon, gym, consulting rooms, kitchen and staff accommodation.

The housing scheme’s onsite care and support team will be commissioned by Blackburn with Darwen Council.