Winding‑up orders were made on 6 November 2025 against Assent Building Compliance Limited (05311596), LB Building Control Limited (06442788) and Oculus Building Consultancy Limited (03414863). The court appointed the Official Receiver as liquidator; the Insolvency Service says she will investigate the reasons for failure and the conduct of current and former directors.
Customers have been warned that cancellation notices issued by these companies include a link to access project documentation and that those links expire on 31 January 2026. There is no assurance of access after that date; clients should retrieve records now.
This collapse reverberates beyond a standard liquidation. LB Building Control and Oculus Building Consultancy have operated as Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs) under the Building Safety Regulator, while the group rebranded as Assent Building Compliance in 2024 after electing not to register the parent as an RBCA. That distinction matters because it affects live approvals and inspector capacity.
Trade outlets report concern over Gateway 2 delays and the handling of “in‑flight” higher‑risk schemes, with the Building Safety Regulator stating it is in active discussions about LB and Oculus’s ongoing service provision. Clients will want certainty that case files and approvals can transfer without being stranded.
Employees holding company property - vehicles, IT equipment or similar - are instructed to contact the Official Receiver at Assent.Liquidator@insolvency.gov.uk using the subject line “URGENT Company Property”. This is an immediate request aimed at securing assets and data.
If you were employed by any of the companies, you can claim statutory redundancy and other sums from the Redundancy Payments Service once the liquidator issues a CN case reference. Applications are online; contractors are not eligible for RPS and should instead register as creditors.
Processing guidance for these cases states average RPS payments take around 12 days, though the Insolvency Service aims to pay eligible claims within six weeks. The RPS helpline is 0330 331 0020 for support with applications. Do not chase claim status until six weeks have elapsed.
Payment limits apply. For redundancies on or after 6 April 2025, weekly pay is capped at £719 and the maximum statutory redundancy payment is £21,570; any shortfall should be claimed in the liquidation as an unsecured debt.
Creditors - including self‑employed contractors and customers who paid for undelivered services - should file a Rule 14.4 proof of debt and email it with supporting evidence to Assent.Liquidator@insolvency.gov.uk, clearly stating which company owes the money. This is required to participate in any distribution.
An investigative phase now follows. The Official Receiver must report on directors’ conduct in the three years before insolvency and may pursue disqualification where conduct is unfit. Since reforms introduced in 2015–2016, reports are submitted on all directors via the Insolvency Service portal within roughly three months of the insolvency.
It is common for the Official Receiver to hand cases to a private insolvency practitioner where specialist trading or complex realisations are needed. If that is proposed here, creditors should insist on a clear rationale and fee basis before any appointment; the Secretary of State route and local rotas exist, but creditor views should be decisive.
The immediate test for the Insolvency Service is to secure and duplicate project records before the 31 January 2026 link expiry, set out a timetable for employee CN issuance and creditor communications, and confirm whether a private liquidator will be sought. Transparency on these points will determine how much value is preserved for customers, staff and trade creditors.