SHOPKEEPERS have been angered by news that work on a housing development above their businesses has stopped as the contractor has gone into liquidation.

Adams House, on East Gate opposite the bus station, is in the process of being expanded from two to four storeys, including 34 new flats.

However, work ceased last week after the main contractor, Ingram Design and Build went into liquidation.

A spokesman for Rom Capital, the owners and developers of Adams House said: "The main contractor Ingram Design and Build is insolvent and is in the process of going into liquidation. We as developers have therefore issued a notice terminating their employment.

"Rom Capital Ltd is in the process of re-tendering the build contract and expects to have a new contractor in place by the end of this month.

"In the meantime some works are ongoing so that no real time delay is caused by these unfortunate events, with a view to completing the project on schedule in December 2008."

One of the shopkeepers, who did not wish to be named, explained to the Herald that they cannot access the back entrance to their shops and many of the units are having problems with their roofs and ceilings since work started.

"The work has been nothing but an inconvenience for the shop owners and because of all the scaffolding people think we're shut.

"Since they've been up there my roof has been leaking every time it rained which caused the ceiling to fall through.

"We can't use the car park at the back because it's blocked with building materials and scaffolding."

He added that deliveries have to come through the front door which is an added inconvenience to customers.

"I want to serve the customer, but I have to ask them to move to one side while the delivery is brought to the back of the shop.

"The back of the units looks like a building site."

He said that some of the builders came into the shop and told him what had happened to the company and that there were a lot of rumours going around between the tenants.

"I've heard through rumours that last Tuesday at 2pm the company went bankrupt," he said. "Some of the workers came in here and said that the company declared bankruptcy.

"No-one knows why. All the tenants think maybe they couldn't afford to do the job."

Another shopkeeper said they were still waiting to hear officially from their landlord about what was going on.

Harlow Council's Planning Committee approved the development of Adam's House last January. One of the shops, plot five, will be closed down to make way for an access point for the flats.

It will be one of a number of developments planned for the town centre where no car parking will be provided in a bid to encourage use of public transport and reduce the number of cars in the town.


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