Mayfield collapse delays Garden Festival park opening

Liverpool-based Mayfield Construction has gone into administration with 72 of the 75 staff being made redundant.

The employees were notified by the directors of the firm on 7 July, a day prior to the appointment of Fiona Taylor and Colin Dempster from Ernst & Young as joint administrators.

Ernst & Young said the remaining three members of staff, together with the company's directors, are now assisting the administrators in the realisation of the company's assets on behalf of its creditors.

Taylor said: "We are currently undertaking a full review of the company's financial position, but it is clear that cash flow difficulties resulting from lower-than-expected revenue and delays in contracts and receipt of income are at the heart of the issue. This is due in part to the inclement weather experienced at the turn of the year and the tough trading conditions that continue to impact the construction industry."

Mayfield Construction, which is based on Knowsley Industrial Park in Kirkby, was part of the project team that restored the Garden Festival park site in Otterspool.

Working on behalf of site owner Langtree, the construction firm was the main contractor on the refurbishment of the park where the International Garden Festival took place in 1984.

Following the announcement of the collapse of Mayfield, Langtree said that the gardens' opening will need to be put back from July to mid-September as it searches for a replacement contractor to complete Mayfield's contract.

John Downes, Langtree managing director, said: "We are sad that Mayfield has found itself in this predicament having almost completed the works necessary at the site. Good people have lost their jobs, the opening date for the gardens will unfortunately be delayed and we, like a number of other companies, are likely to lose money as a result of Mayfield's collapse.

"We are now working very hard behind the scenes to identify a new contractor to complete the works and we hope to have some positive news very soon.

"I know from personal experience how keen people are to see the new gardens and it is frustrating that they will have to wait a little longer. However, I can assure you that it will be worth the wait."

Downes added that emergency ground maintenance staff are being drafted in by Langtree on a temporary basis to tend to the newly laid lawns and flower beds until a new contractor is identified.

Downes said: "On the plus side, when we re-open everything will have had a little longer to bed in and mature and the gardens will look even more spectacular."

Mayfield was a subsidiary of McKean Group, based in Glasgow, which itself was placed into administration.

McKean & Company and Hudson Vision, another two subsidiaries of the McKean Group, were both wound up in June.

Mayfield could not comment immediately when contacted by Place.