Wilson Connolly's former group design and marketing director John Weir was awarded £52,600 at an employment tribunal last week for unfair dismissal.
The housebuilder agreed before the hearing that it had committed what it called "a procedural irregularity" in its dealings with Weir.

The tribunal, in Bedfordshire, agreed that Weir, who left the firm on 30 April, should receive the maximum award, plus costs.

Weir said after the case that it was "a sorry state of affairs and a sad way to end my time at Wilson Connolly", but declined to comment further.

A Wilson Connolly spokesperson said the company was "pleased that the tribunal has been concluded".

Weir had been in line to take up the post of president of the House Builders Federation this year, but relinquished the role when he lost his directorship at Wilson Connolly.

Weir joined Wilcon in 1985 as managing director of its Midlands arm before he was promoted to the full board in 1998 with responsibility for product development.

He predicted last year that the firm would would go over to off-site timber frame manufacture by next year.

He had also been a driving force behind the housebuilder's offshoot, the Lifebuilding Company, which specialised in innovative projects. The firm's main scheme was St James Village, a 400-unit community project in Northampton, which included a community website, a range of interior fit-outs and low-energy lighting.

Weir left Wilcon after troubled times at the national housebuilder. Its pre-tax profit dropped from £66.7m to £35m, and it responded with a management shake-up that included the departure of chief executive John Tutte.

The group brought in former Alfred McAlpine Homes boss Graeme McCallum as chief executive in January, and he announced a shift back to traditional housebuilding.

McCallum said the group, which had a turnover of £709m, would reduce its timber frame output, rather than phasing it in.

He also made it clear that the Lifebuilding Company was not a core operation.