WORK by new main contractors Eric Wright on Blackburn’s problem-dogged new bus station has begun.

Already the firm, which is also building the £33 million Cathedral Quarter in the town centre, has started building a new site headquarters ready to tackle the much delayed construction of the complex.

On Friday, Eric Wright Construction sealed a deal with Blackburn with Darwen Council to take over the job from Bury-based Thomas Barnes and Sons. They promised to be on the old market site this week with hopes high the £4.7million bus station, originally scheduled to open by January, would be completed before Christmas.

On Monday, staff were on site and the following day a crane was visible putting in place the portacabins needed for the headquarters.

Council regeneration boss Phil Riley said yesterday: “I am delighted to see Eric Wright have started work on the bus station.”

Eric Wright Construction’s managing director John Wilson said: “We are working closely with Blackburn Council and Capita to finalise the programme of works and establishing a site office is the first step towards getting everything back on track.” On June 4, Blackburn with Darwen Council dramatically sacked the original main contractors Thomas Barnes after a string of delays to the project.

The move, which saw the former market site being locked up by security staff, followed weeks of legal negotiations between the council, the Bury-based construction firm and project managers Capita.

In May, the Lancashire Telegraph revealed lawyers had been called in over a dispute between Capita and Barnes over whether the steel structure supporting the fibre-glass roof and the plate glass side panels was sufficient to support the structure in all conditions.

A spokesman for Thomas Barnes & Sons said: “The matter is in the hands of our legal advisors.”