A Yorkshire, UK, water park owner has put his operation into administration and provoked questions about public money that was put into the business.
Scarborough’s Alpamare water park was initially reporting a shut-down for the winter months, but last week Benchmark Leisure, the owner, went into administration and now questions are being asked about millions of pounds of taxpayer money that was loaned to the developer in 2013.
The local media is full of reports about the impact on the local economy of the closure of the park and the local MP, Sir Robert Goodwill, has demanded "a full forensic investigation into how these finances have been managed."
Sir Robert is widely quoted as saying: “Right from the start, Benchmark has failed to deliver what it said it would and sadly it has come to this.”
The park opened in the North Bay of Scarborough in 2016, helped by a £9m bailout loan from the Scarborough Council - now defunct - but still owes £7.8m to North Yorkshire Council.
