The company which operates Carmarthenshire’s only harbour has gone into administration.
Carmarthenshire Council, which awarded a 150-year lease to Burry Port Marina Ltd in 2018, said it was working with administrators.
But the company’s director, Chris Odling-Smee, said the administration order was to protect the business while a capital refinancing deal went through, and that the intention was to fulfil its responsibilities at the harbour, which is home to a lifeboat station and badly needs dredging.
The council’s cabinet was given an update by Councillor Gareth John, who has the regeneration, leisure, culture and tourism brief, on Monday, June 19.
He said senior officers were liaising with administrators and that the outcome the authority sought was a safe, fully-functioning and attractive harbour.
He added that discussions were “live and dynamic” and he wasn’t at liberty to go into detail.
He reiterated, though, that the council’s aspirations for the harbour were aligned with those of campaign group Friends of Burry Port Harbour and local councillors, and said the position would become “far clearer” in due course.
In January, Friends of Burry Port Harbour presented a petition to the council which said the harbour had deteriorated to an essentially unworkable state and desperately needed a comprehensive programme of dredging.
In response, the council said it had served Burry Port Marina Ltd with a legal notice outlining breaches of the lease, along with a requirement for a clear, measurable, and time-bound plan of action to address concerns.
Mr Odling-Smee told the Local Democracy Reporting Service three months ago that the company “weren’t quitters” and remained committed to Burry Port harbour, despite it being a loss-making operation.
Speaking again on Monday, Mr Odling-Smee said he acknowledged that the council wanted a resolution and the repayment of money owed by the company, which is in arrears.
“The administration order is to protect the business while we complete on a capital refinancing process, which is progressing,” he said.
Completion of the deal, he said, was “still some weeks away”.
Parent company The Marine and Property Group and most of its subsidiary businesses have entered administration.
“We have no intention of not paying creditors through this process,” said Mr Odling-Smee.
He added that he was aware residents in Burry Port were “exasperated” and that he was sorry things were taking so long.
“My determination to deliver on our ultimate promises remains,” he said.
Burry Port councillors John James and Shelly Godfrey-Coles said they were concerned that the lack of action could prove deadly and have written to Mr Odling-Smee and the council.
“Shelly and I were told of the dangers by different sources, in particular due to the fact that the dredging work had not been carried out, so we felt we had to write to key figures as well as inform the public, who share our concerns, and the fact that a fatality could occur at any time,” they said.
Friends of Burry Port Harbour chairman David Williams said the group was extremely disappointed with the lack of progress.
“The harbour is so full of sand, children play football on it where boats should be floating,” he said.
He said the group has repeatedly asked for a health and safety inspection at the site.
“We need the council to address the issues we have raised, and we need physical work to start now,” he said.
Will be interesting to see if the council actually do anything as it falls back on them for the time being.
So sad to see this happening but not a surprise
So what happens to the harbour now then ?
As it’s in administration, it is still run as business by the administrators. This process stops the debt being chased until a solution is found, i.e new owners, re-financing or liquidation
Pauline Painter
taken all the money and folded lol what a joke the council is let’s see what happens now
Tyrone Davies More of the same? 😊
they own Cardiff marina who will have that
Tyrone Davies separate company I expect
Tyrone Davies Mr smeehe owns them all Cardiff Watchet bury port Aberystwyth and another one further north in Wales and there all in trouble takes money out on them and puts nothing back
The council were given the perfect solution many years ago how the keep the harbour clear of sand and silt but choose to ignore the old heads .
No clue council a joke
Gavin Mathias they are a joke at repairing the jobs in the council houses as well and in llanelli with the shops all empty and boarded up cant understand where all the rate and council tax money goes
As well as rent money
James Francis
*Carmarthenshire County Council thoughts* ‘Extra space for asylum seekers in those boats init’
Richard Greenwell
Big news Jennifer Donovan & Carl Donovan 🛥️🚤⛵🛶
Someone made money along the line wonder who ?
Another Welsh Labour run council who haven’t a clue .Swansea Airport gave a new lease to the company that run it into the ground and 3mths later taking it back off them .That will cost them when they dig there heals in and get a handsome payment out of it no doubt
Carl Donovan the council here is not labour run, it’s plaid…
Carl Donovan and the council’s funding is ultimately decided in Westminster by the Tory government. 😂
Damian Harris Tory government give a pot of money to the Welsh Government and they decide how split it up between councils, NHS, 20MPH speed zones etc
Damian Harris Get real. Labour run Wales .It gets to money and it spends how it wants 😂😂😂Badly .
Carl Donovan And look at Cardiff airport, it is hardly thriving compared with Bristol.
This was a total balls up from the beginning to many tossers who thought they new everything but didn’t have a clue 😡😡
Brian Wood
Tristam Evans
Neil Roberts we should make him walk the plank off the Whitford lighthouse high tide 😂🤣
Yep please let’s get rid of this woke welsh government
Sean Morgan Two points .
You have no idea what ” woke” means.
Your opinion of the government is at variance to the majority of the population.
Roger Barton-Greenwood You are of course right, the OP, parroting an off topic irrelevancy is probably a keyboard warrior, well spotted.
Sean Morgan agreed.
Amber Davies
Very convenient once a company gets in trouble goes into Administration
It’s socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor. The harbour needs investment; dredging for which council (you and I) pay out of our taxes (socialism) and the boat owners pay to park their boats which goes to the owner (capitalism). Such a shame we don’t have any ferries to Devon/Bristol to make commuting/holidays easier.
So does this mean everyone has to move there boats etc🤔
Absolute shambles from the very start
I personally still think that infrastructure like ports . Harbours and marinas . Should still be run as a parastatal organisation . At least that way there is accountability to the government in the end and we can vote them out at general elections if the f@@##@# it up . And it still remains open access to every one . As it’s government or Crown property .
Fill it up with concrete.
Alejandro Valverde Martinez make a beach on top and put palm trees there “costa burry port”🤔
With the people running Wales and llanelli we are fuckd
Mark Tucker
Heather Black Adam Davies
What has this got to to with government/politic’s this a private company going under, probably due to mismanagement or poor financial control or both. Rog.
Roger Bennett CCC tendering to hopeless companies.
Roger Bennett nothing to do with council politics? Who tendered it out then?
Andrew Cornell I thought it is. The council gave them the contract to do this service. If a contract is not met then shouldn’t there be a clause in it that covers failure. I’m not a procurement specialist but the small print should cover these matters?
Andrew Cornell Council Procurement Department under the Procurement Bill I would imagine. Clauses should be included in this.
Alyson Thomas absolutely agreed Alyson, and as such individuals held responsible and in a court room if necessary too
Rumor has it the company running the pontoons has gon under
Rich Danger Berry what someone pulled the plug on them ? No wonder they have gone under. 😠😤👹🤡🏴
Rich Danger Berry sank in the rising tide of debt, even Welsh assembly couldn’t dredge that one out, bit of a fishy tail apparently….🤣
From what I have seen at the Harbour at Burry Port , any new owner must improve the facilities . It needs dredging and with a bit of foresight a Harbourside development that would enhance the area . A good marina will attract better boats ,and with them money that would improve things overall . Like most things run by councils here currantly it’s just a mess .Thank you labour for wasteing our tax money
Councils can’t and shouldn’t run a business. The marina could be perfect for the area. But no, council didn’t listen or take advice to stop the silting up in the harbour. Who on earth would keep a boat there, when there’s no water only silting and mud. Bloody shocking , in the private sector they would be down the yellow brick Road. For making such a disaster. But in the council no accountability, never there fault..
Dewi Branch all councils are PLCs… All… They’re there to make profit not aid the people 🤷♀️ you can find Carmarthenshire Council on the government companies House page along with all the others 😉
Diane Curtis the trouble is, they are not accountable like private companies to there shareholders. For profit and loss. The staff don’t have the experience or commercial training. As I mentioned above, they were told how to stop the silting in the harbour, before they even built the marina. But No, didn’t listen. Now we have a marina not for for purpose. And development in the area sunk.
Dewi Branch exactly!
How sad
A great place for people to meet up and for children to enjoy themselves safely. It would run itself. These people are totally incompetent. 🙈😤
Wayne Preece
Stu Close I warned the council and so did Tristam Evans and John Thomas 3 years ago about this guy SMEE…HE BORROWED £2.5 million on this harbour..and where is he now…yodelling across the Swiss Alps..tucked everyone up…that’s what he does.
Gwen Spittles
The amount of money that has been wasted on the harbour over the years could have restored it many times over. The council has no clue what they are doing. Should have just asked the fishermen and old bury port boys for advice and followed it
Quicksand!!!!
Some facts:
Burry Port harbour is least to https://themarinegroup.co.uk/
The harbour is to small to run as a profitable business and the Marine Group were well aware of this as there are many experts onboard.
However, they took the lease on along with the surrounding land in the hope of building executive apartments and a hotel.
Sales/leasing of properties would subsidise the upkeep of the harbour.
Unfortunately for Burry Port Harbour, Cardiff Marine Group spread their business activities to thin and the investment dried up.
Many of the staff have not been paid for months, so please give them a thought.
I have a boat and it’s currently moored at Cardiff Marina.
It’s absolutely fabulous there but the marina’s future too is unknown.
We can all help to make Burry Port Harbour a dream location, by sharing it’s potential.
What’s now required is for a property developer to look into what’s available along with the harbour and make a proposal to CCC.
It’s going to take tens of Millions if not hundreds to give justice to this amazing location at Burry Port.
I’d love to be able to moor my historical Dunkirk boat at Burry Port, so please share this opportunity to everyone far and wide, as you never know who may be interested.
p.s start helping today
Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6246535912067472&set=p.6246535912067472&type=3
Phil Bowen was that the one the marina in Swansea had for sale a few months back
What a shock!, well vetted by ccc
After they messed it all up they piss off its worst now more than ever!
Sean Morgan You will never get rid of a labour government in Wales its bread into us from birth from our parents unfortunately
Darrel Dawkins
Kelli Hughes same company that is running Aberystwyth Harbour.
Sharon Gutteridge
Yazmin Gutteridge i read this yesterday mad inni x