Neighbours fear an area will be left forgotten after the housebuilder behind a new development entered administration. Ilke Homes, which produced factory-built modular properties, was in the process of building 131 homes for housing association Jigsaw Homes Group at Rolleston Drive in Arnold - but work suddenly stopped after the company announced it was seeking a buyer on June 9.
The Yorkshire-based housebuilder had also been chosen as Boots' partner to deliver 604 homes near to the health and wellbeing giant's Thane Road complex, but on Friday, June 30, administrators were appointed to liquidate Ilke Homes after its investment search failed. Boots declined to comment on the blow to its housing plans, but Jigsaw Homes Group said it was now considering its options regarding the halted Rolleston Drive development.
Those neighbouring the partially completed site, some of which explained they had been intrigued by the manufactured homes brought in by lorry, say they are worried the area might return to dormancy. The site had lain derelict since a fire at an office there in 2017.
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Graham Smith, 66, who lives nearby in Arnold, said: "I feel very sorry for everyone involved with it - they actually look like good houses compared to most of the new ones. A couple of people on my estate were supposed to move into houses here in the next few weeks.
"I am worried about what is going to go off now, I think it will take a lot of time to sort out. It's a very difficult situation and it seems like everyone is losing out - on jobs, money and houses."
Gedling Borough Council, which had residents waiting to move into the new homes, said any delay would negatively impact those on the "already stretched" housing waiting list. Lynda Murray, a woman in her 70s, whose sister lives nearby, said: "We do not want it to be derelict once again. The people who were supposed to be moving in soon will be devastated.
"The houses look quite nice but what is going to be done with them now? Some of them look ready to move in, but I think they will have trouble getting them finished."
Ann Day, 65, of Arnold, added: "I'm concerned it won't be finished off or there'll be a long wait for anything to start again. I'm worried it could get left behind - it is a bit different in terms of the type of house so it might be more difficult.
"It has taken a long time to get to this point. It was quite exciting to see something happen there after the fire, so this is a shame." Locals also expressed fears over potential antisocial behaviour and theft at the site, but Jigsaw Homes Group explained security guards have been and will continue to patrol the area.
Ilke Homes previously explained it was looking for a sale as "volatile macro-economic conditions and issues with the planning system" had complicated fundraising and housing delivery. With significant incremental investment the business returned to growth following the Covid pandemic, but then faced the challenges of unprecedented inflation and a lack of land supply linked to planning processes, the administrators explained.
The company's manufacturing facility in North Yorkshire will close and all site activities will cease. The administrators said the "difficult decision" also means the significant majority of 1,150 staff will be made redundant, with a small number being retained to assist in winding up the company.
Ilke Homes had to apologise to residents near to the Rolleston Drive site in May when a crane had to reposition the load of one lorry after it slipped off on Thackeray's Lane in Woodthorpe. Another of the lorries then had to be halted again at around 6.30pm on Sandfield Road, with the second incident causing damage to a car.
