The managing director of Sefton Council’s hospitality company has stepped down shortly after the venue it was set up to run reopened to the public.
Ben Hedley was appointed to run Sefton Hospitality Operations Ltd last year. Following his appointment the council said the hospitality expert would help drive forward the business, which is wholly owned by Sefton Council.
Sefton Hospitality Operations Ltd (SHOL) was set up in June 2021 to run the Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre, which at the time was closed and undergoing a £3.1m refurbishment.
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The centre, in Waterloo, had been costing the council around £250k a year to run. The refurbishment was aimed at turning it into a profitable “destination attraction.”
Plans involved extending the leisure and activity centre to include a conference and events space as well as new entrance lobby to provide access to a refurbished bar and restaurant.
Sefton Hospital Operations Ltd was not the council’s first choice for running the centre, however, and had been set up after Sefton Council failed to find a company who would go into business with it.
The original plan had been for the council to hold a minority share in a joint venture company, renting out the building at a peppercorn rent to an industry specialist.
When no such willing specialist could be found, the council decided to set up the hospitality company.
The company launched a recruitment drive in January following the development of an ambitious business plan, which saw proposals for SHOL to also be involved in the council’s Bootle Canalside project and other concessions as well as the Lakeside Centre.
It was also announced at the time that the company had been given a £500k loan from Sefton Council to help it get off the ground.
The refurbishment of Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre was beset with problems and delays last year as Sefton Council sacked its contractor after claiming renovation works had stalled. A new contractor was then appointed and work on the centre was recently completed.
A planned opening date of August 22 was announced alongside the creation of 70 jobs. The leisure centre portion of the site was forced to close temporarily the same day, however, after floods following heavy rain.
The council said at the time that the restaurant and events area of the centre had been unaffected and the venue has since entirely reopened.
Less than two weeks after its relaunch, however, Companies House records show that Mr Hedley resigned as director of SHOL.
Sefton Council was approached for comment about the resignation and asked to clarify who was currently running the company – which has yet to file any accounts with Companies House.
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said it would not be commenting because it was an “HR-related matter.”
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