House builder goes bust

11:10am Sunday 10th August 2008

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A HOUSE-BUILDER involved in major projects in west Wiltshire has gone bust leaving one of them part-finished.

Bellfield Homes, based in Bishop Sutton in Bristol, has left a 21-apartment development in Duke Street, Trowbridge, unfinished after failing to pay its contractors.

Rumours of the firm's financial troubles started last month when it pulled out of a deal to redevelop the former Bowyers offices in Stallard Street.

But despite being contacted by the Wiltshire Times on July 30 and 31 company bosses denied it was going into liquidation. When the Wiltshire Times called the offices the next day, on August 1, a recorded message said the business had gone into administration as of July 31 and the offices were now closed.

It said the administrator had a list of all creditors for the business and would be writing to each of them. There is speculation that the company has debts running at about £500,000 to other businesses and contractors in west Wiltshire.

This includes about £300,000 to one builders' merchant and up to £15,000 with another, £90,000 to one plumber and £100,000 to other tradesmen.

Bellfield Homes had houses and apartments for sale in Southcroft Prospect in Corsham, Marlborough Court in Westbury and two developments in Radstock, along with Duke Street in Trowbridge.

It was also responsible for a housing development in Lowbourne Place, Melksham. It had planned to build another set of 16 new houses in The Meadows in Trowbridge along with others in Winford near Bristol and Somerton in Somerset.

Company bosses said last week that it had pulled out of the redevelopment of the Bowyers factory offices in Stallard Street by mutual consent with the owner.

Bellfield Homes Ltd, which was set up in December 2006, is still listed as an active company with Companies House but its listing shows it has never filed any accounts with them, a requirement by law.