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Council housing company threatened with strike-off over late accounts
A council housing company has been threatened with dissolution for failing to file its accounts on time.
Luton Borough Council’s company, Foxhall Homes, was hit with a ‘first Gazette’ notice by Companies House today.
It blamed the delay on the pandemic and said it failed to inform Companies House because of an “administrative error”.
The company’s accounts for 2019/20 are now more than seven months overdue, with no financial results filed since October 2019.
In its notice, Companies House said: “The Registrar of Companies gives notice that, unless cause is shown to the contrary, the company will be struck off the register and dissolved not less than two months from the date shown above.
“Upon the company’s dissolution, all property and rights vested in, or held in trust for, the company are deemed to be bona vacantia and will belong to the Crown.”
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A spokesperson for the Labour-run council said: “There has been a regrettable delay in finalising Foxhall Homes’ accounts and filing them at Companies House due to uncertainties resulting from the pandemic.
“Due to an administrative error we had failed to advise Companies House of this delay.
“On behalf of the directors of Foxhall Homes, the council has now written to Companies House, apologising for this and giving assurances that the accounts will be presented shortly, whilst at the same time requesting a short period of deferral of any further action.”
Foxhall Homes was established in early 2017 with the aim of developing homes for sale and rent.
It submitted planning applications for six schemes in 2018/19 and posted a loss of £400,841, with accumulated losses of £870,966 and £2.8m owed to the council within one year of 31 March 2019.
In March, Luton Council’s development control committee upheld its December decision to grant Foxhall Homes planning permission to build 60 homes at Wandon Park amid opposition from some local residents.
Among Foxhall Homes’ directors are four councillors – three Labour and one Liberal Democrat – including Tom Shaw, the cabinet member with responsibility for housing, and Sian Timoney, the member with responsibility for regeneration.
The remaining three are council officers, including deputy chief executive Laura Church and head of housing, strategy and development Claire Astbury.
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