WORK on completing a large housing development in Hooton is uncertain after the homebuilder fell into administration.

Last Friday (January 12) Stewart Milne Homes North West England called in administrators Matthew Tait and Kiri Holland.

The result means that the future of construction work at its North West sites faces an uncertain future at this stage.

That includes Stewart Milne's completion work on the Palladian Gardens development on land at the former Roften Works, a Second World War artillery factory, by Hooton Road, Hooton.

Work started after the plans gained planning permission for 265 homes in February 2018, the site development previously gaining approval in June 2012.

Since then, the majority of the planned homes at the site have been built and residents have moved in to the site's streets such as Roften Way, Pillbox Close, Sentry Close, Barrel Court, Consol Drive, Valentine Street and Williams Street.

The Stewart Milne website, which is now blank save for the administration notice, says the intention is to continue work on the site, along with its three other sites in the North West, funded by Homes England.

The notice reads: "This administration is at a very early stage. However, our present intention is to work closely with Homes England and other stakeholders as well as the retained management and staff to develop a strategy that results in the continued delivery, where possible in line with our duties to creditors, of the Company’s four housing developments."

The North West arm of the business is being treated as separate to the rest of the Stewart Milne business, which went into administration on January 8 and ceased trading with immediate effect.

Administrators are to contact the relevant stakeholders for the developments.

Customers and home owners for NWED developments (based in the North West of England only) can submit queries to stewartmilneadministration@bdo.co.uk.

Last year, a 70-bed care home for the site was approved by council planners. This is being managed by Seddon Developments, a company separate from Stewart Milne Homes.