Council to take control of half finished Blackpool housing estate

Work at Foxhall Village stopped last October when Hollinwood Homes went into administration with just 200 of the planned 410 homes having been built.

Blackpool Council, which assembled the land for redevelopment, now hopes to take over control of the site within weeks.

A report updating councillors on the situation says: "The council has worked as swiftly as it can with the administrator of Hollinwood Homes and expects to have legal control of all parts of the site within the next few weeks.

"It is fair to say that it is a very complicated situation."

Great Places Housing Association will continue to own 40 plots where foundations are already in the ground for rented affordable homes, and will work with the council to build all 74 properties in phase three and the completion of five partly build homes.

The report adds "it is likely that it will take a further three or four months before a new contractor can get up and running on site.

"The council will also now work to find an alternative route to developing the phase four land next to Blackpool Football Club, with our focus being to continue the transformation of the site achieved to date."

Hollinwood Homes was appointed by the council in 2013 to develop the site over 10 years but went into administration along with parent company Wyre-based Marcus Worthington after hitting financial trouble.

The Foxhall Village, where roads are named after Blackpool FC's famous 1953 FA Cup winning team, is aimed at clearing failed gueshouses and replacing them with family homes.

Hollinwood Homes began work on the site in 2014 following a £15m clearance programme of the land part funded by a £2.7m government grant, with the rest of the cash coming from the Government’s New Homes Bonus scheme aimed at encouraging house building.