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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Tom Duffy

Liverpool woman behind string of failed property firms with £13m debts

The sister of a controversial property developer is linked to a string of failed companies which owe millions of pounds to creditors.

Julie Caroline McInnes, 55, is a former director of six companies which are all now in liquidation. Ms McInnes is the sister of Liverpool businessman Peter McInnes, who promoted companies PHD1 and North Point Global (NPG) in 2015.

NPG failed to deliver a number of high profile property schemes following a string of controversies. Investors in NPG's property ventures claim they are owed £40m.

READ MORE: Liverpool's New Chinatown dream collapses after seven year 'nightmare'

The ECHO can now reveal how Ms McInnes has played a role in relation to the PHD1 and Bilt groups. PHD1 were NPG's original builders but were later replaced by Bilt.

The ECHO understands that Ms McInnes has worked for a housing association on Merseyside over the past decade. She was appointed to the board of PHD1 Construction Ltd in January 2014 and was the company's sole shareholder.

The company, which entered liquidation in 2019, now owes creditors £7.893m. Ms McInnes was also a director of PHD1 Construction (UK) Ltd and PHD1 Developments Ltd.

Both companies were dissolved in 2017. She was also appointed to the board of four Bilt group companies for just one day on February 2 2016.

The Bilt companies were set up to complete specific North Point Global schemes such as New Chinatown, Baltic House, Pall Mall and the Element. The Bilt group of companies also owe large sums of money to creditors. Bilt (Group) owes £626,456, Bilt ( North Point) owes £165,000,

Bilt (NCT) owes £34,000 and Bilt ( Element) owes £156,957. Bilt Baltic owes £4,221,166.72 to creditors. In the past sources at NPG suggested that Ms McInnes was named as a director due to an administrative error and played no active role in the companies.

However, two liquidators reports have since made particular reference to her role at Bilt. The most recent report into Bilt (NCT) , which was published in June last year, reads: "According to the director's statement of affairs, the company had no assets.

"However my investigations identified a number of payments made on behalf of the former director Julie Caroline McInnes totalling circa £32,000 in relation to personal guarantee for liabilities due from her associated company PHD1 Construction Limited.

"An offer to repay £1,000 per month with the prospect of an overall settlement offer within 12 months was accepted during the period. To date £3,000 has been received. Despite a number of requests for further payments no further amounts have been received.

"I can advise that my solicitor has written to Julie McInnes regarding these payments. I have been advised by my solicitor that Julie McInnes has instructed solicitors to respond regarding these transactions.

"I am currently awaiting for the solicitor to respond to my solicitor's correspondence. Further information will be provided in future reports."

The ECHO approached the liquidators for more information about how much money had been repaid. Bilt (NCT) was the building company set up to complete the New Chinatown scheme.

A liquidators report into sister company Bilt (Element) also states that Ms McInnes made payments worth £32,000 to PHD1 Construction Limited.

The report, also from June last year, repeats that Ms McInnes had paid back £3,000 and that the liquidator has written to her solicitor to request the rest of the money.

The ECHO approached Ms McInnes for comment. She did not respond.

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