AN ESTATE agent has vowed that a half-built housing development in the centre of Earby will be completed.

The Hall Varley Homes development in Victoria Road is almost built, but builders left the site around a month ago, leading to rumours that the company had gone bust.

But a spokeswoman for Harris and Moss, the Barnoldswick estate agency working with the builders, said the company was not suffering financial difficulties, and that the houses would be finished soon. She said: "One of the partners in the company, Mr Hall, died a few weeks ago, and the company is taking some time to go through probate.

"We have had a lot of calls about this, but the company is definitely not going under.

"There have been no builders on the site for a while, but work will be starting again as soon as possible."

A supermarket was built on the site about 13 years ago but Kwik Save pulled out of the deal at the last minute and the building was never occupied.

Hall Varley Homes bought it in 2003 and put in a planning application soon after, which was objected to by some in the town who wanted the building to go to community use.

Coun David Whipp said: "This site had become known as the white elephant' site because of all the problems it has had in the past. In the 1980s it was a derelict mill, then when the supermarket venture fell through it become a bit of a blot on the landscape.

"There are fears that if there are problems with the housing development too it may become a blight again which would not be good for the area.

"Clearly something has happened with the development because activity has stopped, but I hope that it will be finished soon."

Joyce Varley, a partner for Hall Varley Homes, was unavailable for comment.