BUILDING work on a 70-home estate will continue after developers bought the site from a collapsed outsourcing firm.

Buccleuch Property and Impec Investments have taken on The Acorns, in Spennymoor, County Durham.

The development had been under Carillion’s property umbrella, but Buccleuch and Impec stepped in following the outsourcing company’s liquidation earlier this week.

Bosses say the venture will be delivered by Impec under the Maple Oak Homes brand, which it bought as part of its joint venture with Buccleuch, with existing contractor Partner Construction continuing to build the properties.

They added 15 homes have already been sold, with another 15 reserved and the next phase due to be released in the coming weeks.

Neil McMillan, Impec Investments’ managing director and owner, said: “The purchase of this development and its delivery through Maple Oak Homes gives us a proven housebuilding business to embark on projects bringing new homes to people in the North-East.

“By partnering with Buccleuch, we are bringing certainty to homebuyers on the site and ensuring Partner Construction has a client with the resources to ensure completion.

“Maple Oak Homes is now in a position to invest in more developments and expand in line with the demand for quality new homes in the region.”

Sandy Smith, development director for Buccleuch, added: “We have a long and successful track record of investing into the North-East and are delighted to be delivering The Acorns in partnership with Impec and Partner Construction.”

Carillion, which was responsible for employing 20,000 people across the UK, collapsed into liquidation on Monday after talks between the firm, its lenders and the Government failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

It had been struggling against a £1bn debt mountain and a £600m pension deficit, and its failure has caused Washingtonbased engineer Van Elle to warn over a potential £1.6m financial hit from outstanding contract payments.

Carillion’s demise has also paused a revamp of Sunderland’s former Vaux Breweries site into office space.

However, Siglion, launched by Sunderland City Council alongside Carillion as a joint venture to deliver the Vaux project and sister accommodation and leisure facilities, says it hopes construction will re-start quickly.