AC1 Takes Over Stalled One Victoria Scheme After Torsion Collapse

Practical completion of the 129-home One Victoria apartment scheme in Manchester is now expected in December — roughly 18 months behind the original programme — after AC1 Construction signed a replacement contract to rescue the job.

The deal follows the collapse of Torsion Construction, the original contractor, whose administration forced developer Zentra Group to find a replacement builder for the site between Great Ducie Street and Mirabel Street.

Harrow-based AC1, a privately owned contractor with annual turnover approaching £30m and offices in London and Manchester, was first brought onto the project under a letter of intent after Torsion entered administration. It has now signed the full replacement contract covering the remaining construction, commissioning and handover works.

Torsion originally secured the job in July 2023, when the scheme carried an estimated £39m gross development value and targeted completion in the second quarter of 2025. The programme subsequently slipped into 2026 before Torsion's administration ended its involvement on site.

The development comprises two apartment buildings rising to 14 storeys. Most of the internal fit-out and façade works had already been completed before Torsion left the site. The outstanding works are focused on communal and external areas, snagging, testing and commissioning — a scope that positions AC1 to deliver handover within the revised December target.

The contract marks a significant Manchester win for AC1, whose London and Manchester offices give it a base to serve the city's residential pipeline. For Zentra, the appointment draws a line under an 18-month delay on a scheme that was largely built when its previous contractor failed.