Dylan Harvey seeks pension investors

TOBY Whittaker’s property business Dylan Harvey Group has been renamed and repositioned as a home for pension investments.

Now trading as Harley Scott Holdings, based near Burnley, the firm’s website advertises commercial and residential property investment opportunities suited to holders of self-invested personal pensions.

Mr Whittaker’s group enjoyed rapid growth during the buy-to-let boom by marketing off-plan city centre apartments across the North West, mainly in Liverpool and Manchester.

But its residential division – Dylan Harvey Residential – failed in August 2009 leaving some 600 property investors with around £6.5m tied up in deposits for apartments not yet built.

Dylan Harvey Group, which was involved in developing the prominent Mann Island scheme in Liverpool, continued to trade. In newly-filed accounts for the year to February 2010 the company saw a return to profit, recording a pre-tax figure of £1m, up from a loss of £1.5m. Turnover jumped 68% to from £5.9m to £9.9m.

Mr Whittaker could not be reached for comment.