THE £4 million restoration of Bradford’s City Hall will be completed on time, it has been confirmed, following the buy out of the associated business carrying out the work.

York firm William Anelay, the specialist contractor working on the Grade I listed building since November 2013, went into administration three weeks ago. At the time the construction and heritage restoration company said that its four associated businesses, including Anelay Building and Conservation, were unaffected by the move.

The firm initially confirmed that work on City Hall and its other ongoing projects had stopped while discussions took place about the best way forward.

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Shortly afterwards another restoration firm, London-based The Szerelmey Group, announced it had bought a controlling interest in Anelay Building and Conservation and three other associated businesses.

Now Bradford Council has confirmed that as a result the refurbishment of City Hall will resume.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “In respect of the council’s City Hall refurbishment works, we have been advised that the Szerelmey Group, (a well-established company operating in the South East which specialises in restoration work) has just acquired a controlling interest in Anelay Building and Conservation Ltd, and this should ensure the refurbishment works are completed on time in March 2017.

“The first element of scaffolding should start to be dismantled over the next couple of weeks.”

Charles Aneley of Anelay Building and Conservation, said: “Szerelmey Group’s acquisition of our associate businesses, including Anelay Building and Conservation, has given them a new lease of life, even though they were trading normally after the parent company went into administration, and we are pleased that this is giving re-assurance to clients, including Bradford City Council, that work on Bradford City Hall will complete on schedule.”

A total of about 50 staff were affected by the acquisition, which it is hoped, will enable the businesses to quickly progress work currently on site, as well as taking on new projects.

Like William Anelay Ltd, The Szerelmey Group is a long-established family business that has specialised in stonework and restoration work since 1855 and its portfolio already includes several heritage and restoration businesses.

Following cash flow difficulties, William Anelay Ltd went into administration earlier this month after its creditors rejected the offer of a company voluntary arrangement.

The firm ceased trading and made 126 staff redundant.

At the time Mr Anelay described the previous few weeks as the worst of his life.

He added: “All I can hope is that at some point in the future people will look back at William Anelay Ltd and recognise 260 years of skilled craftsmanship which gave us the privilege to restore parts of our country’s architectural heritage with some amazing projects on some very special buildings which will be admired far into the future.”

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