Assent Building Compliance Limited (05311596), LB Building Control Limited (06442788) and Oculus Building Consultancy Limited (03414863) have been placed into compulsory liquidation following court orders on 6 November 2025. The Insolvency Service confirms the Official Receiver is liquidator, and-after a late correction-customer download links for project records will remain active until 31 January 2026.
The correction follows a confusing sequence: on 25 November officials said the links would end on 30 November rather than 31 January, before reversing course on 27 November. The notice still warns there is no guarantee of access after expiry and that the Official Receiver is not funded to supply documents directly.
Customers were told cancellation notices went out on 2–3 November with a link to their project files. The Insolvency Service now “requests” that customers download what they need before 31 January 2026. For conveyancers, lenders and warranty providers, failure to secure these records can stall transactions and disputes.
For live jobs, the regulator has set out the immediate rules. After a cancellation notice, project owners have seven days to appoint another registered building control approver and submit a new initial notice, or the project reverts to the local authority. All higher‑risk building schemes revert to the Building Safety Regulator; work must stop until BSR confirms a valid new application. Any part‑final certificates already issued remain valid.
The HSE also confirms LB and Oculus have been removed from the England and Wales RBCA registers, explaining that cancellations and removals sit under sections 52(1)(a) and 58Q of the Building Act 1984. That leaves clients racing to regularise oversight while preserving evidential trails.
The scale is still coming into focus. Building magazine reported the BSR was “currently aware of 10 HRB projects” still held by LB or Oculus under the pre‑HRB transition model, while trade outlets say the collapse risks worsening the Gateway 2 backlog into the new year.
Creditors who paid for inspection or plan‑check work that did not occur-and self‑employed contractors owed fees-should lodge a Proof of Debt and email it, with supporting invoices, to Assent.Liquidator@insolvency.gov.uk, making clear which of the three companies owes the money. Sub‑contractors should also register as creditors.
Employees can claim statutory redundancy and other entitlements once the liquidator issues a case reference. Insolvency Service guidance expects most payments within six weeks, and you cannot claim without a CN reference. Contractors are not eligible for RPS in this case; staff holding company property are asked to contact the Official Receiver marked “URGENT Company Property”.
Government practice guidance explains the seven‑day window, transfer to a new approver and automatic reversion to the local authority if deadlines are missed. What it does not resolve is long‑term preservation of building control records when a private approver fails-an issue thrown into sharp relief by this case.
The Insolvency Service says the Official Receiver will investigate why the companies failed and the conduct of current and former directors. We will scrutinise any recoveries, the treatment of project data and fee approvals. For now: secure your files by 31 January 2026, appoint a replacement within seven days of receiving a cancellation notice, and keep a clear audit trail for any claim.