Firm has previously said move gives it time to prepare appeal against BLO judgement
A company moratorium designed to give Ardmore Group temporary protection from creditor action and allow it to appeal a High Court ruling has been extended into next month.
Ardmore’s construction group, which includes Ardmore Construction Group, Ardmore Major Projects, Regeneration, Fit-out, Hotels & Commercial and Landmark, went into administration last month with the loss of 275 jobs.
At the time, Ardmore said the moratorium “is intended to allow Ardmore to continue preparing its appeal against the [Admiralty Quarter] BLO judgment”.
In May, a High Court judge ordered several Ardmore firms to pay Crest Nicholson nearly £15m in a case relating to cladding repairs at 19 residential buildings at Admiralty Quarter in Portsmouth.
The firms argued that they could not afford to pay and would be at risk of insolvency if they did.
Ardmore added: “The administration follows the profound impact of the recent Building Liability Order judgment relating to the Admiralty Quarter project, which completed in 2009.
“The judgment has affected client confidence, payment terms and certified values across a number of live projects, materially affecting the construction group’s ability to continue trading in the normal way.”
In a filing made at Companies House, the moratorium has now been extended until 6 August.
Ardmore has previously said it has been granted permission to appeal the Crest Nicholson decision at the Court of Appeal, adding: “Ardmore believes the appeal raises issues of wider public importance for the construction industry, including the circumstances in which a Building Liability Order may be made and the extent to which liabilities may be imposed on group companies in respect of historic projects.”
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