Water park owner goes into administration

Benchmark Leisure Ltd, the owner of Aplamare Scarborough water park, has gone into administration.

The Stamford-based firm announced on October 11 that the £14m park would close temporarily until spring 2024, promising that members and customers with a booking would received refunds by October 16.

In an open letter then, the firm said, “Whilst we have a  fantastic park and lots of brilliant customers, we are unable to continue trading through the winter due to the ongoing high costs associated with our business (including the very high cost of energy needed to heat our facilities and pools in the winter). A brief closure will enable us to carry out essential maintenance and improve energy efficiency.”

Reports claim that energy bills at the park, which has both indoor and outdoor pools, had trebled.

The park, in Scarborough’s North Bay, was hailed as the largest in the UK when it opened in 2016. The £14m project was partly funded by a £9m loan from Scarborough Council. It reportedly still owes £7.8m of the loan to North Yorkshire Council, which took over responsibility from Scarborough Council in April.

James Snowdon and Liam Short, of Macintyre Hudson, were appointed as administrators for the company last week.