Creditors seek winding up of Howard Holdings

On Wednesday, at the Companies Court in London, civil engineering firm Fenton Holloway was granted permission to seek to wind up Howard Holdings. The firm was substituted by the judge, Mr Registrar Jaques, for a creditor with whom Howard Holdings has settled ahead of five other creditor companies, including Jones Lang LaSalle, because it was owed the most money. In February, Howard Holdings was ordered to pay the company £186,972 in a dispute concerning marine work carried out on its proposed £135m mixed-use leisure scheme in Weymouth between April and September 2008. The judgment debt has not been paid. Counsel for Howard Holdings attempted to block Fenton’s substitution on the ground that the debt owed to it was by a subsidiary responsible for the Weymouth project. That subsidiary, Howard Holdings (Weymouth), was itself wound up at Bristol High Court on 19 March after Weymouth and Portland Council claimed that the developer had “failed to progress the development” and demanded the payment of £23,000 in consultants’ fees due to it. The judge rejected that submission and said that Howard Holdings would have to argue that point when the matter returns to court on 24 June. A spokesman for Howard Holdings said: “We are in dialogue with Fenton Holloway and we are optimistic that a solution can be found.” He said that Howard Holdings would take legal advice on the validity of any further winding-up petitions as and when they arise.