Construction firm's collapse could affect Birmingham City's stadium

The club were planning to reopen the Tilton and Kop stands by the end of November

Major redevelopment works at Birmingham City FC's stadium could be impacted, after the construction firm behind the scheme stopped trading.

Buckingham Group has filed a notice to appoint administrators, though it is not currently in administration.

The group was contracted to refurbish the lower tiers of the Tilton and Kop stands at St Andrew's.

A spokesperson for the group said it was with "immeasurable regret" it was unable to continue trading.

In a statement, the board said despite "very strong commercial performance", it had suffered "deep losses and interim cash deficits" on major contracts, and had been seeking more investment.

It said it would liaise with clients to work on a solution and to "secure the best outcome for creditors" with an aim to "protect jobs".

A spokesperson for Birmingham City said the club would continue to hold "emergency meetings" with experts to assess the potential impact of the group's "disappointing news".

"The goal was set for the lower tier Tilton to open by the end of September and for the Kop to be fully open by the end of November," they said.

The group is also contracted to deliver new railway stations in Willenhall and Darlaston

Buckingham Group, based in Buckinghamshire, had previously worked on the redevelopment of the North Stand at Molineux, home of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The company was also behind a £55m project to deliver new railway stations in the towns of Willenhall and Darlaston.

The scheme would see rail services in the areas for the first time in over 50 years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A Transport for West Midlands spokesperson said its priority was to "secure and continue the delivery" of the new stations, and it was working to establish any implications.