Provisional liquidation for 13 Stroud & Norwegian development companies

14 Aug 2017 11:20 AM

Thirteen companies have been placed in provisional liquidation following an investigation by Company Investigations of the Insolvency Service.

Eleven of the companies were involved in the acquisition, development and/or operation of The Convent Hotel & Spa in Woodchester, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, that traded as a hotel and music venue.

The two other companies, The Convent in the Hills Limited and The Convent in the Hills 2 Limited raised investments to acquire land and develop a separate project in Norway.

Private individuals entered into investor agreements with at least eight of the companies raising a minimum of £7.8 million. The land and buildings of The Convent Hotel & Spa are currently under the control of LPA receivers who were appointed in respect of a secured charge held by a financial institution.

The companies all traded from The Convent, Convent Lane, Woodchester, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 5HS.

The role of the provisional liquidator is to protect assets in the possession or under the control of the companies pending the determination of the petitions. The provisional liquidator also has the power to investigate the affairs of the companies insofar as it is necessary to protect assets including any third party, or trust monies, or assets in the possession of, or under the control of the companies.

The case is now subject to High Court action and no further information will be made available until petitions to wind up the companies are heard in the High Court on 20 September 2017.

Notes to editors

The thirteen companies are:

The petitions were presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986. The Official Receiver was appointed as provisional liquidator of the companies on 10 August 2017 by Mr Justice Roth, a Judge of the Chancery Division of the High Court.

Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, uses powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Further information about live company investigations is available.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

All public enquiries concerning the affairs of these companies should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 4 Abbey Orchard Street, London, SW1P 2HT. Telephone: 0207 637 1110 Email: piu.or@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk.

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